The first unit in West Midlands Railway’s new fleet of Class 730 electric trains went into service last night. The Class 730s have been built by Alstom at Derby, and consist of 48 three-car sets.Some have been running in pairs on the West Coast Main Line for London Northwestern since November, and will continue to do so until five-car Class 730/2s are available later this year.
The inaugural unit worked the 22.41 departure from Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton. From today, the trains are running between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
The fleet is part of a £700 million investment in new fleets and infrastructure for WMR, which said its trains have ‘significantly more capacity’ than the rolling stock they are replacing.
WMR customer experience director Jonny Wiseman said: ‘I am delighted that our fantastic new Class 730 fleet has entered service in the West Midlands. These trains will make a real difference for our passengers between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
‘The Class 730s have modern features including digital information screens, accessible toilets and power points at every seat. They will also provide a much more spacious feel and a higher capacity so more passengers can travel on our services.
‘Later this year we will be introducing the trains on other routes, including the busy Cross City Line through Birmingham.’