Birmingham Airport: There needs to be a ‘step-change’ in rail services

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Birmingham Airport has responded to the Department for Transport’s InterCity West Coast Rail Consultation, which is due to close on 21st April.

The Airport says that improvement to the rail services in recent years have been only ‘modest’ and journey times between Birmingham New Street and London are ‘only around 5 or 6 minutes shorter than in 1974.’

The Airport also encouraged other business to respond, warning that the region could suffer a sub-standard service by default, if a clear message was not sent to the department for Transport.

They believe ‘there now needs to be a step-change in the timetable.’

The Airport would like to see times reduced in line with improvements elsewhere in the UK, with a 59-minute journey time from Birmingham International to London Euston.

Reducing the London-International journey time to below an hour would have a major impact on travel behaviours, the Airport believes.

The Airport also wants to work with a future West Coast franchisee to create a seamless transition between Rail and Air.

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, said:

“The Airport sees the next West Coast franchise period as critical to the economic recovery of the Midlands. The Route is likely to be full well before the advent of HS2 in 2026, and there needs to be a plan to protect and enhance the well-being of the Midlands economy.”

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