London Midland

For the former "Big Four" Railway company, see London, Midland and Scottish Railway. For the former British Railways region, see London Midland Region (British Railways).
London Midland
Overview
Franchise(s): West Midlands
11 Nov 2007 - 31 Oct 2017
Main region(s): West Midlands, London
Other region(s): North West, East Midlands
Stations called at: 178
Stations operated: 146
Route km operated: 867.4
National Rail abbreviation: LM
Parent company: Govia
Website: www.londonmidland.com
Route map

London Midland[1] is a train operating company in England, owned by Govia, operating the West Midlands franchise.

London Midland operate local services in the West Midlands and surrounding areas through their City sub-brand. They also operate long distance and commuter services on the West Coast Main Line through the Express sub-brand from London Euston to and from the West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. Additionally, services on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line operated by Pre Metro Operations are branded as the London Midland Stourbridge Shuttle.

The franchise was originally due to expire in September 2015, this was extended to March 2016, and again to October 2017 after London Midland agreed to put on extra trains and improve services.[2][3]

Services

London Midland's services are divided between four groups of routes: London Euston Routes, Birmingham Regional, West Midlands Local and Branch Lines.[4]

London Midland operates several "parliamentary train" stations, where only a handful of trains a day call. These include:

London Midland also operates stations where it operates no services. These stations are only served by CrossCountry, which does not manage any stations. These include:

As of February 2016, its routes off-peak Monday to Friday, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include:[5]

London Euston routes
Route tph Calling at
London Euston to Tring 2 Wembley Central (1tph), Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted
London Euston to Milton Keynes Central 1 Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley
London Euston to Birmingham New Street 3 1tph Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green
Note: In the northbound direction this service is timetabled as two separate services, terminating/originating at Northampton.
1tph Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Tile Hill, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green
1tph Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford
Birmingham International to Birmingham New Street 1 Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderley Park
London Euston to Crewe 1 Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth (limited service), Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Alsager
Birmingham regional
Route tph Calling at
Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street 2 1 tph Coseley, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford (southbound only), Hartford (southbound only), Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway
1 tph Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge (southbound only), Stafford, Crewe, Winsford (northbound only), Hartford, Acton Bridge (limited service), Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway
Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury 1 Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford, Shifnal, Telford Central, Oakengates, Wellington
Birmingham New Street to Hereford 1 University, Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury
West Midlands local (Cross City route)
Route tph Calling at
Lichfield Trent Valley to Longbridge (and Redditch) 2 Lichfield City, Shenstone, Blake Street, Butlers Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green, Chester Road, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Aston, Birmingham New Street, Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield
1 tph extended to Redditch calling at Barnt Green and Alvechurch
Lichfield City to Longbridge (and Redditch) 2 Blake Street, Butlers Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green, Chester Road, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Aston, Birmingham New Street, Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield
1 tph extended to Redditch calling at Barnt Green and Alvechurch
Four Oaks to Longbridge (and Redditch) 2 Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green, Chester Road, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Aston, Duddeston, Birmingham New Street, Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield
1 tph extended to Redditch calling at Barnt Green and Alvechurch
West Midlands local (Chase Line route)
Route tph Calling at
Walsall to Wolverhampton via Aston 2 Bescot Stadium, Tame Bridge Parkway, Hamstead, Perry Barr, Witton, Aston, Duddeston, Birmingham New Street, Smethwick Rolfe Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Sandwell & Dudley, Dudley Port, Tipton, Coseley
Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham New Street 1 Rugeley Town, Hednesford, Cannock, Landywood, Bloxwich North, Bloxwich, Walsall, Tame Bridge Parkway
Walsall to Birmingham New Street 1 Tame Bridge Parkway
West Midlands local (Snow Hill route)
Route tph Calling at
Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction via Dorridge 1 Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Dorridge, Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye
Dorridge to Kidderminster 1 Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Blakedown
Dorridge to Worcester Shrub Hill or Worcester Foregate Street 1 Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Tyseley, Small Heath, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Hartlebury, Droitwich Spa
Most trains run to Worcester Shrub Hill, then reverse to continue to Foregate Street. Some irregular off-peak trains either terminate at Shrub Hill or run through to Foregate Street, avoiding Shrub Hill.
Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction via Whitlocks End 1 Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Wilmcote, Wootton Wawen, Henley-in-Arden, Danzey, Wood End, The Lakes, Earlswood, Wythall, Whitlocks End, Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye
Whitlocks End to Kidderminster 1 Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Blakedown
Whitlocks End to Worcester Shrub Hill or Worcester Foregate Street 1 Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Tyseley, Small Heath, Bordesley (limited service), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Kidderminster, Droitwich Spa
Most trains run to Worcester Shrub Hill, then reverse to continue to Foregate Street. Some irregular off-peak trains either terminate at Shrub Hill or run through to Foregate Street, avoiding Shrub Hill.
Branch lines
Route tph Calling at
Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town[lower-alpha 1] 6
Coventry to Nuneaton 1 Coventry Arena, Bedworth, Bermuda Park
Bletchley to Bedford 1 Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick, Bedford St Johns
Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey - Watford North, Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood, Park Street
Irregular service; approximately every 45 minutes.

Former services

A map of the former London Midland network
170511 at Gloucester.

In December 2008 London Midland discontinued the direct service between Walsall and Wolverhampton. Traffic on the route was low, but growing, and there was a campaign to keep the service.[6] The service was a priced option with the new West Midlands franchise, but the Department for Transport decided not to provide funding from December 2008, and as a result the service ceased.[7] There is only one early morning train on Saturdays from Wolverhampton to Walsall (Parliamentary service).[8] London Midland advised that passengers should use National Express West Midlands buses instead.

In December 2008 a two-hourly Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester was introduced to improve transport links between the two areas as well as to provide an increased service at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury. This service was withdrawn in December 2009 because of low passenger use.[9] However, since the December 2009 timetable changes, London Midland still does run a (Parliamentary service) once a week from Birmingham New Street to Gloucester, in the southbound direction only with no northbound return.[10]

Proposed services

In October 2010 London Midland applied to the Office of Rail Regulation to run a new hourly Birmingham to Preston service from 2016 by diverting every other Birmingham to Liverpool train. The Euston to Crewe service would then be extended to Liverpool to maintain a half-hourly service between Crewe and Liverpool by 2016 as well.[11][12] This was rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation.[13] London Midland also sought to run additional evening and Sunday trains between Euston and Crewe, to satisfy what the company says is unmet demand.[11] From April 2012 London Midland began operating an hourly Euston to Crewe service on Sundays.[14]

In order to win a contract extension, London Midland has agreed to put on extra services, resulting in an extra 6,600 seats per week.[15]

Performance

The company stated that it experienced many breakdowns due to the outdated rolling stock it inherited and which it has now replaced,[16] and has also provided extra seats in the 2014 timetable.[17]

In Autumn and Winter 2012 many services suffered cancellations owing to a shortage of train operating staff.[18][19][20]

Performance since the staff shortages have been varied with a low of 76% for the period 10 November - 7 December 2013 to a 92.2% for the period 1–26 April 2014[21] The average punctuality since the start of the franchise is 87%[22]

A new partnership agreement between London Midland and transport authority Centro is set to trigger a £10m investment in station improvements across the West Midlands. 'Transforming Rail Travel' is a deal between the two organisations to continue a two-year arrangement with the aim of delivering further enhancements to services and facilities.[23]

Rolling stock

London Midland retained seven Class 321s for both the Abbey Flyer Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey branch and London Euston-Tring/Milton Keynes/Northampton peak-hour services

London Midland inherited a fleet of Class 150, Class 153, Class 170, Class 321, Class 323 and Class 350/1s from Central Trains and Silverlink.

One of the major franchise commitments was the replacement of the existing fleet of Class 150s and Class 321s.[24] Upon being awarded the franchise, London Midland ordered a total of 66 new trains of three different types, comprising two Class 139 Parry People Movers, 12 two-carriage and 15 three-carriage Class 172 Turbostars and 37 four-carriage Class 350/2 Desiros.[25][26][27]

All bar three Class 150s were cascaded to First Great Western (12 x 2 carriage, 2 x 3 carriage) and Northern Rail (18 x 2 carriages) and the Class 321s to First Capital Connect (13) and National Express East Anglia (17).[28][29] The Class 153, Class 170 and Class 323s have all been refurbished.

The first of the Class 350/2 Desiros arrived in the UK in early October 2008 for testing at the Siemens Northampton depot.[30] By July 2009 they were all in service.

London Midland was to lose all of its Class 321s, but a change of plan saw it retain seven for use both on the Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey branch line and on peak-hour express services between Northampton/Milton Keynes Central/Tring-London Euston.[31][32][33] The final seven units moved to Abellio ScotRail in 2015/16,[34][35][36] and were replaced by seven Class 319s cascaded from Thameslink.[37][38][39]

The two Class 139 railcars were due to enter service on the Stourbridge line with the start of the new timetable on 15 December 2008. However, problems in testing caused a delay in their introduction, with a replacement bus covering the route following the reallocation of the Class 153 originally used.[40] The two railcars finally entered full passenger service in June 2009.[41]

London Midland was to lose all of its Class 150s, but a change in plan saw it retain three Class 150 vehicles as additional capacity, following a statement from the Department for Transport on 10 August 2011. However, London Midland transferred two Class 153s to First Great Western as a result.[42] The other Class 150s were transferred to First Great Western and Northern Rail.

In 2011 London Midland announced that it would be procuring a further 18 four-coach Class 350 Desiros, eight for itself and ten for sub-lease to First TransPennine Express.[43] In February 2012 it was announced that 20 Class 350 Desiros had been ordered by London Midland. Ten Class 350/3s entered service with London Midland, and ten lClass 350/4s with First TransPennine Express.[44][45]

Current fleet

Class Image Type Top Speed Carriages Number Routes Operated Built
mph km/h
139 Parry People Mover Railcar 40 64 1 2 2008
150/1 Sprinter DMU 75 121 2 3 1984
153 Super Sprinter DMU 75 121 1 8 1987–8
170/5 & 170/6 Turbostar DMU 100 161 2 17 1999–2000
3 6
172/2 & 172/3 Turbostar DMU 100 161 2 12 2011
3 15
319/0, 319/2 & 319/4 EMU 100 161 4 7 1987–8
323 EMU 90 145 3 26 1992–3
350/1, 350/2 & 350/3
Desiro		 EMU 100
110		 161
177		 4 77 2004–14

Future fleet

The franchise agreement included the option of replacing the three remaining Class 150/1s in the fleet with six Class 153s in June 2017.[46] The Northern franchise agreement indicates this option has been taken up, as the London Midland Class 150 units will transfer to Northern in 2017. The Northern franchise agreement also rules out the option of any additional Class 323 trains being leased from Porterbrook to London Midland before 1 January 2019.[47]

In July 2016, London Midland and the West Midlands Combined Authority announced that it would run a year-long trial of the prototype Vivarail Class 230 DMU on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line.[48]

Class Image Type Top Speed Carriages Number Routes Operated In service
mph km/h
153 Super Sprinter DMU 75 121 1 6
  • Marston Vale Line
  • Birmingham–Hereford
 2017
230 D-Train DEMU 60 97 3 1
  • Coventry to Nuneaton Line
 2016

Past fleet

Former units operated by London Midland include:

 Class   Image   Type   Carriages   Number   Built   Withdrawn   Notes 
321/4 EMU 4 37 1989-1990 2009-2015 Transferred to:
First Capital Connect (13)
National Express East Anglia (17)
Abellio ScotRail (7)

Depots

Traction

Train Crew

Future

In April 2016, the Department for Transport announced an Abellio/East Japan Railway Company/Mitsui consortium, Govia and MTR Corporation had been shortlisted to bid for the next franchise. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) was issued in August 2016, with the franchise due to be awarded in June 2017. The successful operator will begin services in October 2017.[49]

In July 2016 it was announced that MTR Corporation had withdrawn from the bidding process.[50]

Future franchise requirements

The Invitation to Tender requires that the new franchisee provide:[51]

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Operated by Pre Metro Operations on behalf of London Midland; services are branded as London Midland.

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 5814584 London & Birmingham Railway Limited
  2. ↑ London Midland rail franchise extended to 2016 BBC News 10 June 2014
  3. ↑ "London Midland wins franchise extension". Railnews. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Our Network". London Midland.com. London Midland. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  5. ↑ London Midland Train Times
  6. ↑ "Save Wolverhampton to Walsall Rail Services". RMT Union. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  7. ↑ "Black Country rail service faces funding axe". Birmingham Post. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  8. ↑ Passenger Services Over Unusual Lines 2014
  9. ↑ "Lack of passengers brings cut to service". Worcester News. 4 September 2009.
  10. ↑
  11. 1 2 Miles, Tony (December 2010). "Blackpool through service proposed in West Coast path frenzy". Modern Railways. London. p. 6.
  12. ↑ Application for Section 22A amendment track access agreement. London Midland application.
  13. ↑ London & Birmingham Railway Limited: application for approval of track access rights Office of Rail Regulation letter 10 March 2011
  14. ↑ "Faster and bigger trains on London service". Lichfield Mercury. 31 March 2012.
  15. ↑ "London Midland welcomes new contract award".
  16. ↑ "Improving our services". London Midland. 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  17. ↑ "London Midland reveals new timetable and additional seating across network". Birmingham mail. 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  18. ↑ "London Midland staff shortages cancel trains". BBC News. 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  19. ↑ "More London Midland trains hit by driver shortage". BBC News. 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  20. ↑ "London Midland driver shortage hits 37 trains". BBC news. 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  21. ↑ "Performance London Midland". London Midland.
  22. ↑ "Performance Network Rail". Network rail.
  23. ↑ "£10m investment in West Midlands transport". Insider Media Limited. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  24. ↑ Improvements on the way for passengers as Govia wins the West Midlands rail franchise London Midland News 6 November 2007
  25. ↑ Parry People Movers for Stourbridge branch line London Midland News 14 December 2007
  26. ↑ Twenty seven new trains for London Midland London Midland News 13 December 2007
  27. ↑ Porterbrook purchases new Siemens Class 350 Desiro trains for West Midlands Franchise London Midland News 6 November 2007
  28. ↑ "FCC receives its first Class 321" Today's Railways issue 89 May 209 page 65
  29. ↑ "The Class 321 EMUs" Today's Railways issue 154 October 2014 page 50
  30. ↑ "Siemens unveils Desiros for London Midland". Rail (603). Peterborough. October 2008.
  31. ↑ "London Midland's 321 trains get a fresh coat of paint" (Press release). London Midland. 11 June 2009.
  32. ↑ "London Midland to introduce more seats for London commuters" (Press release). London Midland. 1 October 2009.
  33. ↑ "London Midland keeps seven Class 321s" Rail Express issue 158 July 2009 page 51
  34. ↑ "ScotRail to receive LM Class 321/4s" Rail Magazine issue 766 21 January 2015 page 7
  35. ↑ "London Midland 321s Scotland Bound" Railways Illustrated issue 151 September 2015 page 10
  36. ↑ "LO 321/4 converted for ScotRail" Rail Magazine issue 797 30 March 2016 page 26
  37. ↑ "London Midland takes on Class 319s for Euston work" Rail Magazine issue 779 22 July 2015 page 30
  38. ↑ "Seventh 319 for LM" Today's Railways issue 174 June 2016 page 69
  39. ↑ "LM receives its seventh 319" Rail Magazine issue 804 6 July 2016 page 30
  40. ↑ "Delay to new Class 139 Parry People Mover service" (Press release). London Midland. 5 December 2008.
  41. ↑ "The fleet's in! Class 139 enters service at Stourbridge" (Newsletter). Parry News. Parry People Movers. July 2009.
  42. ↑ Freedom of Information Act Request - F0007261 Department for Transport letter 24 January 2011
  43. ↑ Samuel, A. (15 September 2011). "New rolling stock for London Midland & First TransPennine Express". Rail.co.
  44. ↑ "Extra trains and faster journey times will boost capacity" (Press release). Department for Transport. 29 February 2012.
  45. ↑ "London Midland's new trains bring extra capacity and faster journeys" (Press release). London Midland. 29 February 2012.
  46. ↑ London Midland Direct Award Franchise Agreement Department for Transport
  47. ↑ Northern Franchise Agreement Department for Transport
  48. ↑ Gillman, Alice (22 July 2016). "Class 230 to enter passenger service this year". Vivarail. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  49. ↑ East Japan Railway on West Midlands franchise shortlist Railway Gazette International 7 April 2016
  50. ↑ "MTR withdraws from West Midlands bidding". Modern Railways. Railway Study Association. 73 (815): 21. August 2016.
  51. ↑ "DfT issues West Midlands franchise ITT".
Preceded by
Central Trains
Central Trains franchise		 Operator of West Midlands franchise
2007 - 2017 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Silverlink
North London Railways franchise
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