West Midlands Trains
 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Franchise(s) | West Midlands |
| Main region(s) |
West Midlands Greater London |
| Other region(s) |
North West East Midlands |
| Parent company |
Abellio (70.10%) JR East (14.95%) Mitsui (14.95%) |
West Midlands Trains (WMT, stylised as wmtrains) is a future English train operating company owned by Abellio, JR East and Mitsui that will operate the West Midlands franchise from 10 December 2017.
In April 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the shortlist of bidders for the West Midlands franchise, comprising the incumbent operator Govia, MTR Corporation, and West Midlands Trains; a consortium of Abellio (70.10%), JR East (14.95%) and Mitsui (14.95%). In July 2016, MTR Corporation withdrew from the bidding process.
The Invitation to Tender was issued in August 2016. In August 2017, the West Midlands Trains consortium was awarded the franchise. It will take over from London Midland on 10 December 2017. The franchise is scheduled to run until March 2026.
Unlike the previous London Midland franchise, which was solely accountable to the DfT, WMT will also be accountable for services that operate wholly within the West Midlands region to West Midlands Rail, a group of 16 local authorities.
West Midlands Trains will initially operate all services currently operated by London Midland. Future changes include:
WMT will inherit a fleet of Class 139, 153, 170, 172, 319, 323 and 350 units from London Midland.
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Wikipedia