What has been happening in the rail industry in the build-up to Christmas? We take a look below.

Passenger opinions sought in East Anglia 

Passengers have been called to help shape the future of train services in East Anglia. A government consultation was launched on December 9th, which asks for travellers to give their opinion on how the region's rail sector can be improved.

Rail minister Claire Perry commented: "We are committed to putting passengers at the heart of the rail network. This consultation will help us prioritise the improvements that people want to see. I really encourage everyone who uses the railway in East Anglia to tell us what they think."

Plans are already afoot to improve rail services in East Anglia, with one project aiming to reduce the journey time between Norwich and London to 90 minutes. The next franchise in the region will start in 2016 and the results of the consultation will be used to help determine the services the new operator should offer.

Nearly 140,000 new seats for London Midland

London Midland Passengers are set for a boost, as close to 140,000 new seats are going to be added to the operator's services. Some £62 million is to be invested into improving travel between London and the West Midlands and this is one of the major upgrades that is being undertaken.

Of the 139,000 new seats, 64,000 will be in and out of London Euston, while 75,000 will be in and out of Birmingham New Street.

Other developments will include more direct trains between Birmingham, Coventry, Rugby, and London and faster services between Northampton, Milton Keynes and the capital. There will also be more fast trains between Crewe and London and more frequent services between Redditch and Birmingham.

Transport minister heads to Manchester

Major investment is currently being undertaken to improve rail services in the north of England and transport minister Baroness Kramer visited Manchester on December 11th to see some of the developments for herself. She witnessed the extensive refurbishment work currently underway at Manchester Victoria station, which is part of a wider £1 billion programme of improvements in northern rail services. 

"Good transport links are at the heart of the government’s plan to build a stronger economy. I am pleased to see that Network Rail and the on-site team have been able to deliver this scheme whilst maintaining an operational railway," Baroness Kramer said.

Confirmation for East Coast Mainline franchise

Last month, it was announced that Inter City Railways, a venture between Stagecoach and Virgin, had been handed the East Cast Mainline franchise. Now the agreement has been finalised with the signing of a contract on December 10th.

Set to begin in March next year, the franchise will run for eight years and is expected to provide a wide range of benefits. These include 75 more station calls each day on routes from London and new direct links to Huddersfield, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Dewsbury and Thornaby. 

Proposals have also been put forward for extra trains to London from Bradford, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Leeds, Lincoln, Newcastle, Shipley, Stirling, and York. Some 2,200 additional seats will be made available across the whole fleet, which represents a 50 per cent increase on the current number. Meanwhile, some £140 million is set to be invested in improving trains and stations.

Martin Griffiths, chief executive of Stagecoach Group, stated: "We look forward to welcoming staff into the Stagecoach and Virgin family and making Virgin Trains East Coast a huge success."

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