London Midland

London Midland

Overview
Franchise(s):	West Midlands 11 Nov 2007 - 31 Mar 2016
Main region(s):	London, West Midlands
Other region(s):	North West, East Midlands
Stations called at:	146[1]
Stations operated:	146
Passenger km 2007/8:	591.5 million
Route km operated:	867.4
National Rail abbreviation:	LM
Parent company:	Govia Go-Ahead Group (65%) Keolis (35%)
Web site:	www.londonmidland.com
Route map

London Midland^[2] is a train operating company in England owned by Govia operating the West Midlands franchise.

London Midland operates commuter services on the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Warwickshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and long distance services to and from the West Midlands county, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

The franchise was originally due to expire in September 2015, this has since been extended until March 2016, with negotiations continuing to extend it until June 2017.^[3][4]

Services

An outdated map of the London Midland Network

London Midland Express route map

London Midland City route map

London Midland's services are divided between two sub-brands, London Midland Express and London Midland City.^[5]

London Midland Express

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

• Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street.

Every half-hour to Liverpool Lime Street, one train calls at Coseley, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway. The other train calls at Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge (every 2 hours), Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway. Journey times vary between approx. 1½ hours and 1¾ hours.

• London Euston - Birmingham New Street.

Every half-hour to Birmingham New Street, one train calls at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Coventry, Tile Hill, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International and Marston Green. The other train calls at Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Birmingham International and Marston Green.

In the southbound direction there is one additional train per hour from Birmingham New Street to London Euston. Northbound this is replaced by two separate services: one from Euston to Northampton and one from Northampton to Birmingham New Street.

• London Euston - Milton Keynes Central.

Every hour to Milton Keynes calling at Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley

• London Euston - Tring.

Every half-hour to Tring; one calling at Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, and Berkhamsted, one calling at Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamstead. Journey times are about 45 minutes end to end. Some peak services have varied calling patterns calling alternatively at Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone and Bushey. However all services stop at Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and Watford Junction. Peak services are increased to 15 minutes per hour.

• London Euston - Crewe.

Hourly, off-peak, calling at Milton Keynes Central, 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 a reduction in the number of Virgin Trains off-peak services calling at stations in the Trent Valley (and other parts of the WCML).^[6]

This move was controversial, as it meant some towns losing their fast services to the capital. However, it also enabled some smaller towns, such as Stone, to have their rail service reinstated or improved. A handful of Virgin Trains services continue to call at Trent Valley stations in peak hours only.^[6] As of December 2012 most Euston - Crewe services do not go via Northampton. By operating via the fast lines up to 30 minutes was cut from the journey time.^[7]

London Midland has introduced an evening peak Watford Shuttle service to Watford Junction.

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

• The Marston Vale Line (from Bletchley to Bedford). Operates roughly every hour, 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 be valid for trains between London and Watford Junction. In the past, TfL has expressed interest in taking over the St Albans branch, and installing Oyster Card readers on the stations along it;^[8] however, this route was included within the London Midland franchise.

London Midland City

London Midland City 153371 departs Bedford with a service for Bletchley

Parry People Mover Class 139 at Stourbridge Junction

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. The service patterns are shown below, with weekday frequencies indicated:

• Birmingham New Street – Northampton. Hourly, calling at Marston Green, Birmingham International, Hampton-in-Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill, Canley, Coventry, Rugby and Long Buckby. Some peak services have varied calling patterns calling alternatively at Canley, Berkswell and Hampton-in-Arden. But all services call at Marston Green, Birmingham International, Tile Hill, Coventry, Rugby and Long Buckby. Peak services are increased to 15 minutes per hour.
• Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International. Hourly, calling at Adderley Park, Stechford and Lea Hall.
• Birmingham New Street - Coventry. Hourly, calling at Stechford then all stations to Coventry.
• Walsall – Wolverhampton. Half-hourly, all stops.
• Lichfield – Birmingham New Street - Redditch (the Cross-City Line). Every half hour between Longbridge/Redditch and Four Oaks, two trains an hour between Longbridge/Redditch and Lichfield City and every half hour between Longbridge/Redditch-Lichfield Trent Valley. A number of services to/from Redditch, Longbridge, Trent Valley, City, Four Oaks and Blake Street start or end at New Street.
• Birmingham New Street - Walsall - Rugeley (the Chase Line). Every 30 minutes, with an hourly service to Rugeley [half-hourly in peak hours], calling at Tame Bridge Parkway, Walsall then all stations and every hour between Walsall and Birmingham calling at Walsall, Tame Bridge Parkway and Birmingham New Street.^[9]
• Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury. Hourly, all stops beyond Wolverhampton, complemented by Arriva Trains Wales' fast services to give a twice-hourly service at main stations. Virgin run a small number of services from Shrewsbury to London which call at Birmingham.
• 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, with 3 trains an hour to Dorridge (some peak trains go to Leamington Spa) and 3 trains an hour towards Whitlocks End (1 train an hour continues to Stratford-upon-Avon Sunday to Friday, 2 on Saturdays). Of the 6 trains an hour from Birmingham towards Stourbridge Junction, 2 terminate at Stourbridge, 2 terminate at Kidderminster and 2 terminate in Worcester.
• Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town (the Stourbridge Branch Line). Every ten minutes.^[10]
• Coventry – Nuneaton. Hourly.

Smaller stations

London Midland operates several "limited stop" stations, where only a handful of trains a day call.

These include:^[11]

• Bordesley, one train per week on a Saturday (a parliamentary train), plus football specials.
• Polesworth; one train per day (a parliamentary train).

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:

• Wilnecote
• Coleshill Parkway
• Water Orton

Former services

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.^[12] 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.^[13] There is only one early morning train on Saturdays from Wolverhampton to Walsall (Parliamentary service).^[14] London Midland advised that passengers should use Travel 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.^[15] 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.^[16]

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. Currently only one train per day on weekdays by London Midland operates between Euston and Liverpool.^[17][18] This was rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation.^[19] London Midland also sought to run additional evening and Sunday trains between Euston and Crewe, to satisfy what the company says is unmet demand.^[17] From April 2012 London Midland began operating an hourly Euston to Crewe service on Sundays.^[20]

Performance

The company has stated that it experienced many breakdowns due to the outdated rolling stock it inherited and which it has now replaced.^[21] and has also provided extra seats in the 2014 timetable^[22]

In Autumn and Winter 2012 many services suffered cancellations owing to a shortage of train operating staff.^[23][24][25]

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^[26] The average punctuality since the start of the franchise is 87%^[27]

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.^[28]

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 Central/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.

A franchise commitment was to replace all of the Class 150s and Class 321s.^[29] London Midland ordered two Class 139 Parry People Movers, 12 two-carriage and 15 three-carriage Class 172 Turbostars and 37 four-carriage Class 350/2 Desiros.^[30][31][32]

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). 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.^[33] 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.^[34][35]

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.^[36] The two railcars finally entered full passenger service in June 2009.^[37]

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.^[38] 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.^[39] 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 longer Class 350/4s with First TransPennine Express.^[40][41]

Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Cars per set	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Class 139		LPG railcar	1	40	64	2	Stourbridge Town Branch Line	2008
Class 150/1 Sprinter		DMU	2	75	121	3	Marston Vale Line Birmingham – Hereford	1984–87
Class 153 Super Sprinter			1	75	121	8	Marston Vale Line Coventry – Nuneaton Snow Hill Lines Birmingham – Rugeley Birmingham – Shrewsbury	1987–88
Class 170/5 Turbostar			2	100	161	17	Birmingham – Hereford Birmingham – Shrewsbury Birmingham – Rugeley	1999–2000
Class 170/6 Turbostar			3	100	161	6	Birmingham – Hereford Birmingham – Shrewsbury Birmingham – Rugeley Snow Hill Lines	1999–2000
Class 172/2 Turbostar			2	100	161	12	Snow Hill Lines	2011
Class 172/3 Turbostar			3	100	161	15	Snow Hill Lines	2011
Class 321		EMU	4	100	161	7	Abbey Line London – Tring/Milton Keynes London – Northampton	1989–90
Class 323			3	90	145	26	Redditch – Lichfield Trent Valley Wolverhampton – Walsall via Birmingham Birmingham – Birmingham International	1992–93
Class 350/1 Desiro			4	110	177	30	London – Birmingham Birmingham – Liverpool London – Tring/Milton Keynes London – Crewe London – Northampton Northampton – Birmingham Wolverhampton – Walsall via Birmingham	2004–05
Class 350/2 Desiro			4	100	161	37		2008–09
Class 350/3 Desiro			4	110	177	10		2014

London Midland replaced the area's older trains, including the Class 150s that operated the Snow Hill and Marston Vale lines

Depots

London Midland's diesel fleet is maintained at Tyseley depot, the Class 323s at Soho depot in Birmingham and the Class 321 and 350s by Siemens at Kings Heath depot in Northampton. The Class 139s have their own small depot where all maintenance is carried out at Stourbridge Junction.

See also

• Central Trains
• Central Citylink
• Silverlink

References

External links

• Media related to London Midland at Wikimedia Commons
• London Midland official website

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