After 10 years, the radical overhaul of the West Coast Main Line through Birmingham is complete.
Under Network Rail’s £9billion project, the route has been rebuilt for tilting trains to travel at 125mph while new junctions, platforms and signals have been installed.
Rail users in Birmingham have been promised more frequent, cheaper and quicker services between New Street and London Euston.
The Birmingham Post caught up with rail users at New Street to gauge their reaction.
Gurdeep Singh, a 20-year-old Nottingham University student from Handsworth, said: “I go to London quite a bit because my sister lives there. From Nottingham it takes an hour-and-a-half but from Birmingham, which is closer, it takes longer. You can drive in that time. These improvements are definitely long overdue.”
Noreen Sullivan, a retired teacher from Solihull, said: “There’s a few trains cancelled this morning so there must be teething problems but in the long run it will be better. I go to London a lot but not by train because it’s too expensive.”
Jeff Young uses the West Coast Main Line to return to London after delivering cars in Birmingham for Toyota.
The 56-year-old from Hastings said: “I think it’s absolutely fantastic as long as it’s reliable. But I don’t think it will get more people on because fares are too high.”
