Birmingham’s Cross-City Line Aventra train fleet carried more than 12 million passengers in its first year
A British-built Alstom Aventra train fleet for West Midlands Railway has carried more than 12 million passengers since completing its rollout on a popular Birmingham route one year ago.
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Passengers on the Cross-City Line – which connects Lichfield to Bromsgrove and Redditch via Birmingham – first boarded the new Class 730/0 electric train fleet in March 2024, with the full rollout officially completed on 26 September 2024.
In their first year, the new trains have proven popular with commuters and leisure travellers alike, with more than a million journeys made every single month. West Midlands Railway reported a 19% rise in customer satisfaction on the route since they entered service, citing their spacious carriages, intelligent air conditioning and modern features as factors behind the uplift.
The new trains were built at Alstom’s historic Derby Litchurch Lane Works, the only train factory in the UK able to design, engineer, build and test trains for domestic and export markets. West Midlands Railway’s new trains are part of Alstom’s Aventra line-up, the biggest train manufacturing programme in a generation. In total, Alstom has produced 2,660 electric multiple unit (EMU) Aventra cars for the Elizabeth line, London Overground, Greater Anglia, c2c, South Western Railway and West Midlands Trains (which incorporates West Midlands Railway) since 2015.
The rollout of the new West Midlands Railway trains were recognised at the prestigious National Rail Awards in London on Wednesday 17 September, where the operator won Fleet Achievement of the Year.
“We are proud to see the Class 730/0 fleet making such a meaningful impact on the Cross-City Line, with over 12 million passenger journeys in its first year. This milestone reflects the dedication of our teams at Alstom and our commitment to delivering sustainable, reliable and comfortable rolling stock for the UK rail network and around the world,” said Andy Butters, Managing Director Derby Litchurch Lane Works at Alstom.
He added: “The recognition at the National Rail Awards is a testament to the collaborative effort behind this achievement, and we look forward to continuing our support for West Midlands Railway as they continue to enhance passenger experience across the region.”
As well as serving Birmingham New Street, the line includes the award-winning University railway station, which saw over three million passengers in the first year first year following its multi-million-pound transformation. Class 730/0 trains also run on routes connecting central Birmingham with destinations including Walsall, Wolverhampton, Rugeley and Birmingham International.
“This new fleet is the flagship for our £1 billion 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,” said Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Railway Customer Experience Director.
He added: “The Cross-City Line is the busiest commuter route outside of London, so boosting capacity was hugely important to us. The new three-carriage trains run in pairs, comfortably offering space for over 1,000 people on every Cross-City Line service.”
West Midlands Railway is part of West Midlands Trains, a train operating company that also runs London Northwestern Railway services. As part of the Aventra programme, Alstom built 36 five-carriage Class 730/2 trains – a total of 180 new carriages – for London Northwestern Railway, bringing an overall 20% uplift in capacity on routes to and from London Euston railway station.
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