Since rolling out its 730 fleet on the Cross City Line a year ago, West Midlands has carried over 12 million passengers.

The line connects Lichfield to Bromsgrove and Redditch via Birmingham, and saw the first new Class 730/0 electric fleet run services along the line in March 2024, with a full rollout by September 2024.

The trains have been popular with users, having over 1 million journeys each month. There was also a reported 19% higher customer satisfaction on the route.

The trains are spacious and feature air conditioning and other modern features aimed at improving customer experience.

The fleet’s rollout was also recently recognised at the National Rail Awards in London on the 17th September, winning ‘Fleet Achievement of the Year’.

 “This new fleet is the flagship for our £1billion investment into new trains and infrastructure. We want to provide the best possible passenger experience, and we are so pleased that the Class 730/0s are making such a positive impact on customer satisfaction already.

“The Cross City Line is the busiest commuter route outside of London, so boosting capacity was hugely important to us. The new 3-carriage trains run in pairs, comfortably offering space for over 1,000 people on every Cross City Line service.”

Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director