Hot weather update: West Midlands Railway

Thursday, 25 July 2019

West Midlands Railway is runinng a normal timetable today despite soaring temperatures in the region.

Passengers in parts of the country, particularly around London, are facing delays or cancellations due to blanket speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail on areas of the network to prevent rails from buckling.

Despite the regular timetable remaining in operation, West Midlands Railway passengers are still being advised to check their journeys before travelling as changes to services elsewhere in the country may have a knock-on impact in the West Midlands.

Passengers can visit National Rail Enquiries for information.

Richard Brooks, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “Extreme heat causes issues on the track and although we are running our regular timetable today, passengers should check their journeys before travelling.

“It is crucial that passengers remain hydrated and we advise our customers to carry water with them if possible. If passengers feel ill on board a train they should not attempt to stop it, but instead seek help at the next station.”

Any passengers who are delayed on their journeys as a result of the extreme heat are encouraged to claim compensation via the Delay Repay scheme.

About West Midlands Trains

For further information on this release, call our press office on 03300 955150 or email [email protected]

West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.

• London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast mainline to and from London Euston.

• West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street.

For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

The West Midlands Trains franchise started on 10 December 2017 and will run until 2025/26.

West Midlands Trains operates 1,300 services a day, manages 150 stations and provides over 70 million passenger journeys a year. Over the course of the franchise, West Midlands Trains will be investing £1 billion into the rail network to deliver new trains, improved routes and station upgrades. This will include 400 new train carriages across the network and space for an extra 85,000 passengers into Birmingham and London at peak times.

The franchise is a joint venture between Abellio (70.1% share) and East Japan Railway Company / Mitsui & Co., Ltd (29.9% share in a 50:50 split). Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen. In the UK, Abelllio operates ScotRail and Greater Anglia train services, Merseyrail services in a joint venture with Serco and buses through Abellio London. For more information visit www.abellio.com

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