Paul Franks
Presenter, BBC WM

The company that runs the next West Midlands rail franchise will need to make sure there's room for another 20,000 passengers.

The government says the firm will also have to increase Sunday services and provide a direct peak time service between Walsall and London. 

Two firms have been shortlisted: current operator Govia and West Midlands Trains Limited. 

The chair of West Midlands Rail and leader of Staffordshire County Council Mark Winnington told this programme the "overriding request [from passengers] for more capacity at peak times".

Mary Rhodes
Presenter, BBC Midlands Today

We bring you all the latest news as clubs around the West Midlands try to finalise transfers before deadline day tomorrow.

Tributes have been paid to the former Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, Ken Purchase, who has died aged 77 after a short illness.

And an orchestra from West Bromwich will be seen in a BBC reality show celebrating amateur orchestral music. 

More on these stories and others in Midlands Today on BBC One at 18:30.

A new West Midlands Rail (WMR) franchise will accommodate another 20,000 passengers in London and Birmingham at peak times.

Stourbridge News

A CCTV recording device has been discovered today by investigators, external who are looking into the fire at popular Wall Heath restaurant Hickory’s Smokehouse.  

A businessman has been cleared of conspiracy to rob a warehouse in which company director Akhtar Javeed was shot dead at point-blank range. 

A jury was directed by a judge to find Asif Aurangzaib not guilty part-way through what was initially a trial of three men over a robbery at the Direct Source 3 warehouse in Digbeth, Birmingham, on 3 February.

Aurangzaib, of Leacroft Road in Derby, was today cleared of any part in the raid by masked gunmen, with Judge Philip Parker deciding there was "insufficient evidence" against the 25 year old.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Two other men are still on trial and accused of murdering warehouse business owner Mr Javeed, 56.

Alleged gunman Suraj Mistry and alleged getaway driver Lemar Walib deny murder, conspiracy to rob the warehouse and two counts each of possession of a pistol with intent to cause fear or violence. 

BBC Travel

Blue Lane West in Walsall is blocked and there is very slow traffic inbound between the A454 Wolverhampton Road junction and the Green Lane junction because of a crash, drivers are warned.

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Wolves have sealed a four-year deal for Moroccan midfielder Romain Saïss. 

Saïss become their 10th signing of the summer after the club bagged teenage goalkeeper Jack Ruddy from Bury yesterday.

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are today's stories so far:

- An ex-champion athlete has appeared in court accused of attempted murder

- Aston Villa, Wolves and Albion have all snapped up new signings in the past 24 hours before deadline day on Wednesday

- Opening hours at four Wolverhampton cultural venues are being reviewed

Express and Star

A cloud of balloons - blue, like the colour of his eyes - was launched into the sky to loud applause at the exact moment and precise spot where he had died the previous week, external.

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

Japanese Knotweed in a next door neighbour's garden is stopping an Edgbaston family from selling their home, its owner says.

Nasreen Akhtar, of Majuba Road, was told by a surveyor that she would not be able to borrow money against the property and that potential buyers would also be put off, because of the invasive species growing up and over their fence. 

She believes she is "stuck from moving on" because it will take years to cut and treat properly.

The property next door is owned and managed by Family Optima housing association, which is a member of WM Housing Group. 

Liz Carroll, assistant director at Family Optima, said: "We have made attempts to contact our tenant and have booked a garden specialist to visit the house to carry out tests so we can start the removal process on his behalf as soon as possible if Japanese Knotweed is confirmed."

Aston Villa sign Bristol City's Ivory Coast striker Jonathan Kodjia for an initial fee of £11m, which could rise to £15m.

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Blues striker Nicolai Brock-Madsen is being linked with a loan move to Dutch side PEC Zwolle.

A man has been stabbed during a robbery on a bus in Handsworth.

He was travelling on the number 74 just after midnight on Sunday morning when he had his phone snatched by a woman.

He was then approached by a man who stabbed him twice before the pair got off the bus and ran away, West Midlands Police said, external.

His injuries were not serious, but did need surgery.

Police want to identify the two people pictured here in connection with their investigations into the robbery.

Image source, West Midlands Police

A BMW driver clocks 129mph on an Anglesey road because he feared he would miss a ferry to Ireland, a court hears.

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Aston Villa are still chasing a striker - Bristol City's Jonathan Kodja and Nottingham Forest's Britt Assombalonga are the latest to be linked to the club.

Meanwhile defender Joleon Lescott has left Villa for a two-year deal at AEK Athens.

Image source, Getty Images

Zoo... bamboo... Is this what's known as bamboozled? 

Morocco midfielder Romain Saiss joins Wolves from French Ligue 1 club Angers for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal.

Five Metropolitan Police officers face a misconduct investigation over the case of a woman found dead near an Edinburgh golf course.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A little bit of thin cloud will come in tonight, and things will be fairly warm too.

Lows of 15C (59F).

Find out more.

Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today

Tributes have been paid to the former Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, Ken Purchase, who has died aged 77 following a short illness.

And an orchestra from West Bromwich will be seen in a BBC reality show celebrating amateur orchestral music. It's one of only five to be picked from the UK. 

More on these stories and others in Midlands Today on BBC One at 13:30.