HS2 will mean 52 extra services an hour

An extra 52 train services will run each hour from some parts of the Midlands if the controversial high-speed rail route goes ahead, a report reveals today.

Transport bosses said the number of trains running from Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley stations to various parts of the UK would more than triple if the scheme goes ahead.

The initial phase of the £32billion HS2 scheme from London to Birmingham would free up capacity on the West Coast Mainline, which serves the Black Country.

It could mean thousands of extra seats, fewer crowded trains and a more reliable, quicker, frequent service for commuters in rush hour, according to a report by transport body Centro.

From Wolverhampton, an extra service an hour would run to London, Coventry, Shrewsbury and Telford, while there would be five added trains running to Birmingham International and two services to Milton Keynes.

There are currently no trains that run from Wolverhampton to Milton Keynes.

From Walsall, two trains an hour would run to London, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Leamington, Stafford and Liverpool, as well as four to Birmingham International and Coventry.

There are no trains that run to these stations at the moment.

From Sandwell and Dudley Station, a service would go to Stafford and Scotland every hour, and two to Milton Keynes. There would also be five added services to Birmingham International, two to Birmingham, two to Wolverhampton and one to London, Coventry, Shrewsbury and Telford.

In the report to the Integrated Transport Authority Committee, Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip states: "HS2 represents a major opportunity for the West Midlands both in terms of the jobs it would create and the wider economic benefits a scheme of this nature would bring."

Consultation on the Government's plans for the high-speed route was launched in February. Anti-HS2 campaigners have questioned whether the controversial path through the West Midlands is necessary.

HS2 Action Alliance believes passenger capacity can be increased by around 135 per cent by making better use of existing track. The consultation runs until July 29.

High-speed trains will slash times between Birmingham and London to 49 minutes. And there will be 22,000 jobs created and £1.5bn a year of investment as a result of the 250mph trains between Birmingham and London.

But the alliance claims times for connecting services at Wolverhampton and Birmingham New street will increase by 10 minutes. The report was being discussed by Centro's Integrated Transport Authority today.