Response from Secretary of State for Transport re: West Midlands Trains (WMT) services at Kenilworth station.

Below is the response from the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport after receiving correspondence from Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP and Councillor Alison Firth, Mayor of Kenilworth, about West Midlands Trains (WMT) services at Kenilworth station.

Dear Jeremy

Thank you for your letter of 4 February 2020, enclosing correspondence from Councillor Alison Firth, Mayor of Kenilworth, about West Midlands Trains (WMT) services at Kenilworth station.

I understand Councillor Firth’s concerns about the performance of WMT. My number one priority is for the country’s trains to run on time. It is disappointing to see the poor performance of WMT since it implemented its May 2019 timetable, and I wish to assure you that the Department, alongside the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE, with which we jointly manage the West Midlands franchise), is continually pressing WMT to improve performance and mitigate the adverse impacts on passengers.

The WMT timetable change on 19 May 2019 represented the most significant change in services in the West Midlands since 2008 and included a range of service changes and improvements for passengers. However, whilst elements of the timetable worked well, WMT acknowledges that others did not and that the punctuality and reliability of services declined across the franchise, including on the line through Kenilworth.

WMT has been working with Network Rail and other train companies to make its timetable more robust. Starting in December 2019, the operator introduced changes designed to reduce the likelihood of delay being spread from one train service to another. Performance has improved since these changes were implemented.

This will be followed in May 2020 by further amendments to the timetable, which should give trains more ability to recover lost time. The changes should reduce the likelihood that WMT will have to remove stops from train services to counter any domino effect of disruption.

The May 2019 timetable changes also saw the introduction of extra carriages and new Sunday services for Kenilworth station. The trains calling at the station were also extended through Coventry to provide an hourly Leamington Spa-Kenilworth-Coventry-Nuneaton service.

You and your constituent will be interested to know that on 9 February 220 WMT announced that it will invest an additional £20million into the railway network following a period of poor performance in 2019. The additional investment has been agreed with my Department as part of a detailed plan to improve services which includes performance-boosting timetable changes and hiring additional staff.

You may be aware that on 27 December 2019, WMT announced that it is cutting 2020 season tickets prices by three per cent – more than offsetting the 2.8 per cent price rise that came into force on 2 January 2020. This is in recognition of its poor performance since the introduction of the timetable in May 2019.

Also, a second compensation scheme for non-season ticket holders was announced on 28 January 2020. All passengers will receive a 10% discount on their travel this summer as compensation for recent poor performance. The discount will apply to the walk-up fares for every off-peak journey made on WMR and LNR services throughout July and August. A further announcement regarding compensation linked to holiday periods will be made in due course.

Despite the recent challenges, Kenilworth is one of the fastest growing stations in the region. This year alone patronage has increased by over 20 per cent, and it is already one of the 100 busiest stations in the West Midlands, putting it on a par with well-established locations such as Ledbury and Cannock.

With regard to the independent travel shop, it is generally considered to provide a positive experience for users, and the Department and WMRE welcome innovation in the way rail tickets are sold.

Please be assured that I am on the side of the passenger and am determined to see a railway that delivers what its customers expect and is fit for purpose.

Yours ever,

Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Secretary of State for Transport

Download copy of the letter