Extra trains will be running between London and the West Midlands for the duration of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The games take place in Birmingham from Thursday, 28th July to Monday, 8th August, and Avanti West Coast will run three trains per hour between London Euston and Birmingham, up from the current two.

The additional services will provide over 10,000 extra seats each day for visitors to Birmingham 2022. They are part of the wider industry effort, in partnership with the Grand Rail Collaboration, Transport for West Midlands, and West Midlands Rail Executive, to serve the region as well as meet the increased demand during the Games.

To facilitate the extra trains and accommodate thousands of visitors to Birmingham, for the 11 days of the Games services on the Manchester to London route will be reduced to two trains per hour as opposed to the normal three. One service will run via Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield, and the other via Crewe.

Tickets for travel during the Games are on sale now.

With key stations due to be decorated in readiness for the Games, a new mural has been unveiled at Birmingham International. The low wall mural uses Avanti West Coast’s Brand colours and symbolises the way rail connects cities and brings people together in celebration, and was produced by Brink Contemporary Arts in association with Heart of England Community Rail Partnership.

Funded by Avanti West Coast, the artwork takes its inspiration from the theme of connecting people with place and opportunity. Using colours from Avanti West Coast’s train livery design as a starting point, the artist’s mural concept embodies a subtle sense of movement. Future transport and infrastructure developments are represented by angular shapes and forms. The colours used also reference the varied national flags of the Commonwealth countries, whilst the use of blue is a contextual hint to the Coventry City of Culture 2021.

Craig Mortiboys, Regional Growth Manager at Avanti West Coast, commented: “We can’t wait to play our part in this major sporting celebration with all eyes on Birmingham this summer. We’re proud to be working alongside our industry partners to make sure athletes and spectators get to and from the events during the Games.”

Julia Singleton-Tasker, Community Rail Officer for the Heart of England Community Rail Partnership, added: “Birmingham International, with its proximity to the National Exhibition Centre, is due to play a key part in the delivery of the Games.

“We wanted a visual representation that spectators will see at speed when arriving and departing from the station. At the start of the low wall mural, there is a nine square chequered flag motif to hint at the City of Culture and a nod to the two-tone music movement that started in Coventry.”