The Department for Transport has confirmed a £1.05 billion grant for improving transport in the West Midlands. Tram and rail services are set to benefit, as well as buses, cycleways and pavements. When local funding is added, a total of £1.3 billion is expected to be invested over the next five years. The first schemes approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority include a £43 million extension to the tram depot in Wednesbury and an extension of the West Midlands Metro network to Dudley. The power supply system on the original tram line between Wolverhampton and Birmingham will also be upgraded. Improvements to heavy rail routes are set to follow, with faster journeys planned on several routes between Birmingham and other major towns and cities in the region.

Food and drink returns to ScotRail trains

On-board catering trolleys are starting to return to ScotRail trains, which were renationalised at the end of last week. But although ScotRail is investing £918,000 on reviving on-board catering it faces problems, because former catering staff who were displaced as a result of Covid restrictions have since moved to other jobs. The first trains with catering started to run again yesterday on some Inter7City routes, but a recruitment drive has now been launched to attract more staff and train them.