Rail passengers warned of 40 second door closures

People travelling to and from Birmingham New Street are being told about big changes

Rail passengers have been told they must be on board their train 40 seconds before its scheduled departure time.

That is when carriage doors will soon begin closing at Birmingham New Street in a bid to help services leave on time.

The change marks a 10 second increase for some services, and will begin on Sunday across all platforms.

It was agreed by Network Rail and train operators to help "keep passengers on the move".

Steven Ireland, from National Rail, said the move will ensure rail journeys are more reliable.

“At this time of year, when we see an increase in visitors for the Christmas markets and events across the city, the station and platform can get really busy," he said.

"While only a 10 second increase for some services, that extra time allows for everything to be in place to allow the train to leave on time and help to reduce any delays to passengers.”

West Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Transport for Wales run services in and out of the station.