Rail passengers travelling between London and Birmingham have benefited from two new services which were introduced this week (5 September 2011).

On the West Coast main line, London Midland trebled the number of trains between London Euston and Coventry and Birmingham so there is a train every 20 minutes between Birmingham and London.

To mark the launch of its enhanced service London Midland is giving 20% discounts on tickets bought online.

On the London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street route, train operator Chiltern introduced faster, more comfortable "Mainline" trains to compete with Virgin on the WCML.

The fastest of the new silver "Chiltern Mainline" trains is hauled by locomotives, rather than multiple units, giving a best journey time of 90 minutes.

Chiltern is keen to attract Virgin passengers from the Euston-New Street route by offering better service, including free wifi, for a lower price.

The new Chiltern service results from the £250 million Evergreen 3 project, which has included 55 miles of new track.

Railfuture member Alan Crowhurst who travelled on the silver service yesterday (6 September 2011) reported: "The journey was, as promised, much faster, and the ride very comfortable.

"With the carriages used I was reminded of how much standards had been, in my view, reduced as I much prefer these old units to Virgin's Pendolinos.

"The seating was comfortable and the visibility from every seat was good. The new fare structure is also easy to understand and fare levels competitive.

"My return journey was on the usual diesel multiple unit, acceptable but certainly inferior to the loco-hauled units."

London Midland's increase in service is good news for those living near Marston Green, Hampton in Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill and Canley stations as they will also see direct trains to the capital, seven days a week.
 
“This is a great leap forward for our Birmingham to London service," said Alex Hynes, commercial director at London Midland. "The improved frequency and quicker journey times mean customers will no longer have to compromise on convenience to get great value fares.”
 
London Midland's discounted tickets can be obtained for the first 20 days of the new service at LM20