Extra 100 Midlands daily trains pledged in £1.5bn rail plan

Detailed plans have been submitted to the government as transport bosses in the Midlands seek approval for £1.5bn of improvements to the rail network.

The proposals would see up to 100 extra trains in the region every day, transport body Midlands Connect said.

Several engineering schemes are in the plans, including creating access to Birmingham from the East Midlands and south west England and Wales.

If approved by ministers, work would start in 2025, the group said.

Other details in the plans include improving access to HS2 in the future in Birmingham and a better cross-city line with trains able to arrive every 10 minutes.

The additional 100 trains each day would connect up to 43 locations including Bromsgrove, Nuneaton, Hereford, Bristol, Gloucester, Cardiff and Leicester, Midlands Connect said.

But plans to boost rail services from Nottingham and Derby have been shelved as the group said the cities would instead get HS2 trains from Birmingham.

Other engineering upgrades include improvements to platform 4 at Snow Hill station, partially double-tracking the line between Ledbury and Shelwick and freight loops between Nuneaton and Leicester.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the Midlands Rail Hub plans were a "game-changing" scheme.

"The benefits it can bring to local people and businesses are many," he added.

The outline business case has been submitted by Midlands Connect in partnership with Network Rail and with the backing of 47 partner organisations.

When the ideas were first floated in 2019, the cost was put at £2bn but the group said it had managed to bring them down by finding cheaper ways to carry out work.

If approved by the government with funding for a full business case, Midlands Connect said the first benefits could be seen by 2027, with full completion by 2030.

Sir John Peace, chairman of Midlands Connect, said it was a "truly momentous occasion".

"The Midlands Rail Hub will significantly impact the future of travel for generations to come," he said.

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