London Midland loses rail franchise

London Midland has lost the right to operate in the West Midlands.

The franchise, which won the contract in 2007, has been replaced by West Midlands Trains Ltd, a joint venture between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd.

In a statement, the London Midland managing director said:

London Midland began running services in the West Midlands in 2007.

Since then, the company claims to have invested over £400 million in improving the network with new trains and more stations.

In the last 12 months, London Midland says £14 million has been spent on improving passenger experience, including the introduction of free WiFi.