In order to satisfy demand, Chiltern Railways will be providing 2,160 additional seats every week on their popular Mainline service running from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone. The changes came into effect 8 October.

This includes 72 extra seats on both morning peak silver train services at 0619 and 0655 from Birmingham to London and evening peak silver train services at 1646 and 1807 from London to Birmingham.

The 0733 train from Birmingham Moor Street will have two additional non-Mainline carriages specifically for passengers from Banbury, providing 144 extra seats for passengers from this key commuter location.

The train operator has been able to respond to the increase in demand due to their programme of train refurbishment. This innovative approach takes existing carriages and equips them with mod cons such as free Wi-Fi, spacious seats and more plug sockets and tables.

Since the launch of Mainline last September, the service’s popularity has soared with a 33.6% increase in journeys between the West Midlands and London. It was created to target a gap in the market - a reliable and value for money service to London, which allows business people to travel and work in comfort.

Jenny Payne, Customer Services Director at Chiltern Railways commented: “Since the launch of Mainline just 12 months ago we have seen phenomenal growth in passenger numbers from the West Midlands.”

“Anticipating this, we began a programme of carriage refurbishment to supplement our existing fleet and from 8th October we are delighted to provide an additional 2,160 seats every week on our morning peak services to London from Birmingham.  This capacity allows for the expected additional passengers who will move over to Mainline over the coming months.”

Chiltern Railways was recently awarded the prestigious Passenger Operator of the Year in the UK’s National Rail Awards in recognition of the excellent service they offer customers.