London Midland unveils new £93m Snow Hill fleet

London Midland has unveiled its new £93m fleet which will be introduced in the autumn.

The 27 trains, to run on the Snow Hill line between Worcester and Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, will replace the current 25-year-old fleet, the operator said.

There is improved seating and wheelchair areas, wider doors and electronic information screens.

More than 8.4m passenger journeys were made on the line past year.

'Improved comfort'

Mike Hodson, managing director of London Midland, said: "We are looking forward to bringing these new trains to our customers on this extremely popular route.

"We are anticipating that passenger numbers will further increase next year.

"These new trains will provide a much more pleasant travel environment for our customers."

The new 172 diesel trains, which will be brought into service in September, will replace the current flet of 150 diesel trains.

The carriages, built by Bombardier, have been designed to reduce noise.

Geoff Inskip, chief executive of Centro, the region's transport authority, said: "More people are turning to local rail year on year, especially for the daily commute and it's important that they get quality services."

"These new trains should bring improved comfort for passengers so their introduction is to be welcomed."