Bidders for the West Midlands franchise will be able to remove seats from trains providing they meet certain criteria, Rail Minister Paul Maynard confirmed in a Commons Written Reply to Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald on October 17.
Maynard said: “The Invitation to Tender for the West Midlands franchise allows bidders to propose alternative layouts which could include fewer seats and more standing space for services which operate on the ‘Cross-City’ line in Birmingham.
“This option is included in response to the West Midlands franchise consultation, where there was a particularly strong response from respondents that use this line about changing the current 3+2 seating arrangement to provide wider aisles and more spacious and comfortable standing areas.”
Gary - 26/10/2016 09:46
Just provide more units to make all trains 6 car instead of 3. Simples!