New trains enter service on Birmingham’s Cross City Line

The introduction of the Class 730 fleet represents the start of a new era for rail travel on the line, which is used by millions of passengers every year and connects Birmingham with destinations including Lichfield, Redditch and Bromsgrove.

The new fleet, part of WMR’s £1 billion investment in new trains and infrastructure, can carry a third more passengers than the 30-year-old fleet they are replacing. The fleet is made up of 48 three-carriage trains in total – making a total of 144 new carriages - and is part of a £1 billion investment in new trains and infrastructure by WMR. Features include a spacious interior with walk-through carriages, accessible toilets, WiFi and power points at every seat.

The Class 730 fleet will be phased into service on the Cross City Line over the spring and summer months as the existing Class 323 trains are withdrawn from service. This means the line will be served by a mixture of Class 730s and Class 323s trains for the next few months, with the transition expected to be fully complete by the autumn.

All Class 730s on the Cross City Line will run in pairs, meaning every train will have six carriages and capacity for more than 1,000 passengers.

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