A new fleet on trains deployed on Birminngham’s Cross Cuty Line has scooped a national award.
West Midlands Railway (WMR)’s Class 730/0s landed the “Fleet Achievement of the Year” accolade at the National Rail Awards in London.
This came after judges said the trains had made “a significant difference for passengers in the West Midlands.”
The electric trains, introduced onto the route between Lichfield, Birmingham and Redditch/Bromsgrove last year, were part of a £1bn investment by WMR which helped boost capacity and customer comfort including air conditioning and accessibility.
John Doughty, WMR engineering director, said: “The trains have proved incredibly popular with our customers and their arrival has certainly contributed to the increasing number of passengers we are seeing using the route each year.
“Introducing a new train fleet is never an easy task with a lot of moving parts and I am pleased to see the hard work of everybody at West Midlands Railway in bringing the trains into service recognised at the National Rail Awards.”
The National Rail Awards is run by RAIL magazine and is often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the railway’.
