Porterbrook Secures 404-Vehicle Fleet, Part of £1 Billion Program

West Midlands rail services see Porterbrook acquire 404 vehicles, part of a £1 billion investment program over five years.

Porterbrook Secures 404-Vehicle Fleet, Part of £1 Billion Program
January 22, 2026 1:39 pm | Last Update: March 12, 2026 4:03 am
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Porterbrook has acquired a 404-vehicle rolling stock portfolio from Corelink Rail Infrastructure, a joint venture between Infracapital and a fund managed by DWS Group. The transaction encompasses 324 Class 730 electric multiple units and 80 Class 196 diesel multiple units. All vehicles are currently operated by West Midlands Trains.

The Alstom-built Class 730 Aventra units entered service in March 2024. This fleet operates on routes including Birmingham’s Cross City line and the service between Walsall and Wolverhampton. In their first year of operation on the Cross City line, the units supported 12 million passenger journeys.

The five-car electric trains are maintained at the Bletchley depot. Porterbrook previously allocated £66 million for upgrades to this facility, which included the installation of new stabling tracks, inspection infrastructure, and overhead power lines.

The acquired fleet represents approximately 60% of the services delivered by West Midlands Trains on regional and long-distance routes connecting London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. Porterbrook stated that this transaction is part of a wider £1 billion investment program in new trains and rail infrastructure conducted over the last five years.