On track to London for £5

Train tickets from Birmingham to London have plunged to £5 - with the option of a direct link from Stourbridge and Cradley Heath - in a price war between rail companies.

Both Chiltern Railways and Virgin Trains have slashed their ticket fares to London which means rail users can now get to the capital for just a fiver.

The new £5 one-way E-ticket is texted as a barcode to passengers' mobile phones and can be used to get to London Marlyebone, without having to change.

The train picks up in Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Cradley Heath, Rowley Regis, Smethwick and West Bromwich on the way to Birmingham and passengers have to book on specific trains.

Passengers getting on before Birmingham have to pay the difference to Snow Hill - which still turns out at under £10 one way and means they do not have to change.

The new ticket is being offered as part of a three-month trial run by Chiltern Railways and more than 1,000 people have already taken advantage of the offer.

Virgin Trains is also offering £10 one-way fares from Birmingham to London on selected trains throughout the day.

The prices are a massive drop from previous fares of £30 and above for a one-way ticket to London.

Helen Dunn, of Brettell Lane, Amblecote, said: "It is so convenient and such a novelty to have your ticket sent to your mobile phone. I will definitely be using this service again." The E-ticket has to be booked before 6pm on the day before you travel.

Chiltern Railway said there are hundreds of seats available on up to 28 trains a day for travel to London (and vice versa) costing a flat rate of £5.