Free wi-fi will be available to passengers on all West Midlands rail services by 2019.

The commitment has been made in plans described as a ‘game changer’ for public transport in the region.

Rival rail companies hoping to secure the London Midland rail franchise from next year will also be told to outline how they will massively increase the number of peak time trains running in to Birmingham and increase the number of Sunday services.

Details of the improvements demanded are outlined in a tender document published by West Midlands Rail (WMR) - a coalition of 14 West Midlands councils along with the Department for Transport.

Two companies are battling it out for the contract which is due to begin in October 2017.

As a minimum they will have to guarantee:

• Free wi-fi on all trains by 2019

• 30,000 extra peak time passenger journeys into Birmingham per day

• Sunday services to be increased to Saturday levels across network

• Increased services between Bromsgrove and Birmingham and Rugeley using newly electrified lines

• New hourly service from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent

• Doubling of off-peak service between Birmingham and Shrewsbury

• New direct peak time service from Walsall to London

• Expansion of Oyster style smart ticketing

Watch below: London to Birmingham in five minutes aboard Virgin Train

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The tender document makes it clear these are minimum requirements and companies can improve on them. The network up for grabs includes the Cross City line and local services to Worcester, Coventry, Stafford and Shrewsbury.

In a separate consultation over the West Coast Main line WMR has also today called Birmingham International station to be renamed as Birmingham Airport and NEC.

West Midlands Rail chairman Cllr Mark Winnington, who is also a member of Staffordshire County Council, said: “Today’s announcement is a game changer in that it is the first time the region has had this level of involvement in shaping what a train company has to deliver for local passengers.

“The region has come together to grab this devolution opportunity with both hands and we believe that together with the Department for Transport we have set out a railway that brings real benefits not only for passengers but also for local businesses while supporting economic growth and jobs.

“The authorities of the West Midlands are united in this and believe the region better understands what it needs from its railway and that having greater responsibility for its management is good for passengers, good for the economy and good for taxpayers.”

The two shortlisted bidders are:

• London and West Midlands Railway, a subsidiary of Govia Limited (a joint venture between Keolis and Go-Ahead Group).

• West Midlands Trains, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Abellio Transport Group with East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co as minority partners.

Bidders for the West Midlands franchise have until November 29, 2016 to submit their bids.