West Midlands Railway’s Class 730 electric trains are now calling at Walsall, with the local council welcoming the new service.

The trains began running on the Rugeley-to-Birmingham-International route recently, calling at Walsall.

They have been operating on the route between Walsall and Wolverhampton via Birmingham since February this year and on the Cross City line since April.

The new, electric trains include more storage areas for bicycles and at least one accessible toilet on each train.

They have better digital information screens, plug and USB sockets for each seat, underfloor heating, smart air conditioning and free WiFi.

They also have clear luggage racks, which minimise the chances of passengers leaving their bags on the train.

Each Class 730 train has three carriages and can carry 546 passengers, a forty per cent greater capacity than the twenty-year-old trains they are replacing.

West Midlands Railway has introduced the new fleet as part of a billion-pound investment in trains and infrastructure.

Only around ten per cent of trains serving Walsall is a Class 730. However, the operator expects that by Christmas, that figure will have passed fifty per cent.

More trains will enter services as more drivers complete their training on the new stock.

Passengers make around one million journeys to or from Walsall station each year. Train services from the station go to Birmingham New Street to the south and to Cannock and Rugeley to the north.

“We are delighted even more customers at Walsall are now enjoying the benefit of travelling on our newest trains, which offer increased capacity and modern features like power points and smart air conditioning. With six trains departing the station every hour and more than a million passenger journeys made to and from Walsall every year, we are proud that these new trains are playing their part in helping to grow the economy of the borough by enhancing leisure and business travel.“

Max Taylor, Commercial Director, West Midlands Railway