Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, and Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth, travelled on the brand new Avanti West Coast service between Liverpool and London on Monday this week.
The service, which stops at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth, will help boost capacity between Staffordshire and the capital, increase passenger choice and provide a better customer experience.
Previously, the operator ran eight trains each weekday between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston serving Lichfield and Tamworth.
This week, Avanti West Coast introduced its new timetable. It includes the addition of three weekday services between the two cities, which will call at Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth – improving connectivity to and from the region.
Sarah Edwards MP said: “It was fantastic to be able to see the improvements that have been made to Avanti’s Pendolino Fleets. The changes put customers at the heart of the service, bringing more trains through Tamworth, and improving the services onboard.
“Tamworth will see an extra 15 trains during the week and five more trains at the weekend thanks to the improvements made by Avanti, and their increased seat capacity means more passengers can travel.”
Dave Robertson MP said: “This new service is a step in the right direction, as it will see more trains calling at Lichfield Trent Valley with more seats available – giving more opportunity for people to travel.
“It will also provide a direct link to a major city in the North West and make it easier for commuters in Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages to get to London.
“Having boarded the service today, it was clear that many improvements have been made to the customer experience including improved accessibility and more comfortable seating.”
Andy Mellors, Managing Director for Avanti, said: “We’re excited to have introduced our new timetable, one that delivers on our commitment to run more services from Lichfield and Tamworth to improve connectivity, with the ultimate aim of encouraging more people to travel by train.”