Type=image;ImageID=15210;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=The famous Prince Albert statue;TitleClass=strong;
The famous Prince Albert statue, also known as 'The Man on the Horse' illuminated in bright orange in the city centre in support of West Midlands Railway's #Connectingtheregion campaign.
Since taking over the franchise in December 2017, West Midlands Trains, the company behind West Midlands Railway, has unveiled an investment package of £1 billion.
This includes £700 million investment in new and refurbished trains, £70 million into new and existing depots to improve train reliability, 20,000 extra seats for rush hour passengers in Birmingham and standing room for 50,000 more commuters in new, metro style carriages.
Passengers across the West Midlands will benefit from additional late night and Sunday services as well as more trains from Wolverhampton to London.
John Roseblade, Head of City Transport at City of Wolverhampton Council said: "We are pleased to support West Midlands Railway and welcome its commitment to transform rail links across the region.
"Our vision for improved transport connections in the City of Wolverhampton is rapidly becoming a reality.
"There is a significant amount of investment currently on site or in the pipeline which is great news for the city. We hope the increase in services to and from our country's capital will make Wolverhampton a more attractive place for people to live, work and visit."
Richard Brooks, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: "We're proud to continue to drive change as the West Midlands' dedicated railway operator. Turning the region orange is our way of showing residents our pledge to continue upgrading railway services, while fuelling and feeding the West Midlands economy through continued investment.
"When it came to choose an icon to light up Wolverhampton, we instantly thought of the 'Man on the Horse' - a unique statue that is instantly recognised by people across the region.
"We aim to provide the best journey experience for all of our customers, so we're excited to continue our work in transforming railway services and creating a brand that we all can really be proud of."
West Midlands Railway also lit up iconic monuments in other key locations around the region including the Library of Birmingham and Bull at Bullring, Coventry's Lady Godiva statue and the New Art Gallery in Walsall.
- released: Friday 27 April, 2018