London Midland

London Midland

Franchise(s):	West Midlands 11 November 2007 – 19 September 2015
Main region(s):	West Midlands, London
Other region(s):	West of England, East Midlands
Fleet size:	157 (soon to be 201)[1]
Stations called at:	146 [2]
Passenger km 2007/8:	591.5 million
Route km operated:	867.4
National Rail abbreviation:	LM
Parent company:	Govia (Go-Ahead Group / Keolis)
Web site:	www.londonmidland.co.uk

A map of the London Midland Network

London Midland Express route map

London Midland City route map

London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd.^[3], it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands Franchise since 11 November 2007.

Their services operate primarily on the West Coast Main Line from London Euston and in the West Midlands region, replacing previous operators Central Trains and Silverlink (both subsidiaries of the National Express Group).

Routes

London Midland's services are divided between two sub-brands, London Midland Express and London Midland City.^[4]

London Midland Express

This sub-brand is used primarily for semi-fast services on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The main service pattern is as follows:

• Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street. Every half hour, calling at either Smethwick Galton Bridge or Coseley (alternating to give each an hourly express service), Wolverhampton, Penkridge (hourly service), Stafford, Crewe, Winsford (hourly/two hourly service), Hartford, (hourly service, although service improves in the morning and evening peak), Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway. Journey times vary between approx 1½ hours and 1¾ hours.

• London Euston - Birmingham New Street. Every half hour to Northampton, calling at Watford Junction (hourly), Hemel Hempstead (hourly), Berkhamsted (hourly), Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central and Wolverton, with hourly extensions to Birmingham New Street, additionally calling at Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Birmingham International and Marston Green. Journey times are about an hour longer than Virgin trains' InterCity service.

• London Euston - Milton Keynes. Every 20 minutes to Tring, calling at Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted, with hourly extensions to Milton Keynes which call at Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley. This service is complemented by an hourly Southern train service between Harrow & Wealdstone and Milton Keynes. At peak times, a new "Watford Shuttle" service has been introduced to take the pressure off other services. Calling at Harrow & Wealdstone and Bushey.

• London Euston - Crewe. Hourly, off peak, calling at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove and Alsager. This semi-fast service replaced the old Virgin Trains service from December 2008. This coincided with the number of Virgin Trains off peak services calling at stations on the Trent Valley Line (and other parts of the WCML) being reduced.^[5] This again was controversial, as smaller towns have in effect been cut off from the Intercity rail network. This service takes longer than Virgin services did/do. During peak times, Virgin stops certain trains at one or two of the more major stations, ^[6] so there is no peak service between the stations.

The brand is also used for two branches off the WCML:

• The Marston Vale Line (from Bletchley to Bedford). Hourly, all stations.
• The St Albans Branch Line (from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey). Every 45 minutes, all stations.

It is a requirement of the franchise that Transport for London's Oyster Cards can be used on trains between London and Watford Junction. In the past, TfL have expressed interest in taking over the St Albans branch, and installing Oyster Card readers on the stations along it;^[7] however this route was included within the London Midland franchise.

London Midland City

A London Midland City Class 153 No. 153371 departs Bedford, with a service bound for Bletchley.

This sub-brand is used for local and commuter services around the Birmingham / Coventry Area, sponsored by Centro/ Network West Midlands, that were previously run by Central Trains. These services are:

• Birmingham New Street – Northampton. Hourly. Semi fast. Run together with the hourly Birmingham to London serivce.
• Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton. Half hourly, all stops.
• Lichfield – Birmingham New Street - Redditch (the Cross-City Line). Every ten minutes between Longbridge and Four Oaks, all stops, with half hourly extensions to the termini.
• Birmingham New Street - Walsall - Rugeley (the Chase Line). Every 15 minutes, with half hourly extensions to Rugeley.
• Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury. Hourly, all stops beyond Wolverhampton, complemented by Arriva Trains Wales' fast services to give a half hourly service at major stations.
• Birmingham New Street – Hereford via Bromsgrove. Hourly off peak, half hourly peak. Semi-fast.
• Worcester - Birmingham Snow Hill – Leamington Spa / Stratford-upon-Avon (the Snow Hill Lines). Every ten minutes between Stourbridge Junction and Birmingham Moor Street, various extensions and patterns.
• Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town (the Stourbridge Branch Line). Every ten minutes.^[8]
• Coventry – Nuneaton. Hourly.
• Worcester - Gloucester. Every two hours, complementing the First Great Western Service to give an hourly service overall, off peak. All stops.

Smaller stations

London Midland operate several "limited stop" stations, where only a handful of trains a day stop:

These include ^[9]:

• Hartlebury; six trains a day Monday-Saturday, peak only, no Sunday service.
• Bordesley, one train per week on a Saturday (a parliamentary train),plus football specials.
• Polesworth; one train per day (a parliamentary train)

Former routes

In December 2008, London Midland discontinued the direct service between Walsall and Wolverhampton. Usage on the route was low, but growing, and a campaign existed to keep the service.^[10] 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.^[11] London Midland advised that passengers should use a Travel West Midlands bus to make the journey. The rolling stock was re-allocated to run the new Worcester to Gloucester service.^{[citation needed]}

Performance

The most recent performance figures for London Midland to be released by the ORR for the first quarter of the financial year 2009/10 are 89.4% Public Performance Measure.^[12] The MAA up to 30 June 2009 was 86.5%. These figures are very similar to the same period last year.

Rolling stock

London Midland plan to replace the area's older trains, including the Class 150 DMUs that operate the Snow Hill and Bedford-Bletchley lines Parry People Mover Class 139 at Stourbridge Junction London Midland are to initially retain seven Class 321 EMU trains for both the 'Abbey Flyer' Watford Junction - St. Albans Abbey branch and peak hour services. The first London Midland Express Siemens Class 350/1 Desiro No. 350101 at Watford Junction.

Current fleet

London Midland’s fleet is currently composed of rolling stock inherited from Silverlink and Central Trains. They have finished refurbishing the existing Class 153, Class 170 and Class 323 multiple unit trains. They also intend to use automatic load-monitoring systems to measure how heavily their services are used, for the purpose of alleviating over-crowding.

The first of the 37 new Desiro units arrived in the UK in early October for testing at the Siemens Northampton depot^[13]. As of July 2009, they are all in service.

London Midland are to retain seven Class 321 EMU trains and these will feature on both the 'Abbey Flyer' Watford Junction - St. Albans Abbey branch line and Peak Hour Express services between Northampton-London Euston. ^{[14] [15]}

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, delays in testing the units caused a delay in their introduction, with a replacement bus covering the route following the reallocation of the Class 153 originally used.^[16]. The two railcars finally entered full passenger service in June 2009^[17]

Class	Image	Type	Cars per set	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Class 139 Parry People Mover		diesel multiple unit	1	40	60	2	Stourbridge Town Branch Line	2008
Class 150/0 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	3	75	120	2	Snow Hill Lines	1981-83
Class 150/1 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	2/3	75	120	14 3 car 10 2 car	Snow Hill Lines	1982-84
Class 150/2 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	2	75	120	2	Snow Hill Lines	1984-86
Class 153 Super Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	2	75	120	10	Bedford - Bletchley Coventry - Nuneaton Strengthening of any 150 or 170 services	1987 - 1988
Class 170/5 Turbostar		diesel multiple unit	2	100	160	17	Hereford - Birmingham Birmingham - Shrewsbury Birmingham to Rugeley Trent Valley via Chase Line	1999 – 2002
Class 170/6 Turbostar		diesel multiple unit	3	100	160	6	Hereford - Birmingham Birmingham - Shrewsbury Birmingham to Rugeley Trent Valley via Chase Line	1999 – 2002
Class 321/4		electric multiple unit	4	100	160	7	Birmingham - Northampton Birmingham International - Walsall London - Milton Keynes /Northampton Watford Junction - St. Albans Abbey	1988-89
Class 323		electric multiple unit	3	90	145	26 (16 more by 2014)	Lichfield - Redditch (The Cross City Line) Walsall - Birmingham International Wolverhampton - Birmingham	1992-93
Class 350/1 Desiro		electric multiple unit	4	100	160	30	Liverpool - Birmingham Northampton - Birmingham London - Birmingham/Crewe	2004 - 2005
Class 350/2 Desiro		electric multiple unit	4	100	160	37	London - Birmingham/Crewe (Replacing Class 321)	2008-2009

Future fleet

As part of its franchise agreement, London Midland is committed to a major programme of new rolling stock. London Midland have ordered fifteen 3-car and twelve 2-car Class 172 Turbostar units ordered from Bombardier Transportation, ^[18] to replaced their Class 150s. Under the government's rolling stock plan, the Class 150s will be cascaded to other TOCs. (most likely Northern, East Midlands Trains and/or First Great Western)

See also

UK Railways portal

• Central Trains
  • Central Citylink
• Silverlink

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: London Midland

• London Midland official website

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