Extra train services from Birmingham for Blue's Wembley rush
As Birmingham City fans leave the region to head to London, enhanced train services have been put on to accommodate the rush.More than 40,000 fans are expected to travel to Wembley Stadium as the team takes on Peterborough in the final of the Vertu Trophy.London Northwestern Railway (LNR) said more than 20 services would leave the region for London, including a number of additional trains, offering about 13,000 seats.Chiltern Railways said it would operate an enhanced service from Warwick Parkway to maximise the number of customers it could take, but this meant trains would not call at a number of stations en route.
The company explained three Chiltern services per hour were running from 09:00 BST to London Marylebone, but none of its trains would operate from Birmingham Moor Street, Solihull, Dorridge, Lapworth, Hatton or Warwick for the entire day."A limited rail replacement service will be in operation from Leamington Spa, calling at Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway and Stratford-upon-Avon," it added.LNR said fans leaving from Stechford, Lea Hall and Marston Green should travel from Birmingham New Street where possible, as it was likely trains would be full when arriving from Birmingham.The operator, as well as Avanti West Coast, runs services from Birmingham New Street to London Euston, after which fans can travel via the London Underground to the stadium.
Fans, including comedian Jasper Carrot, have expressed their excitement for the cup final, which Birmingham last won in 1995.Blues fan Chris Jay is travelling more than 4,000 miles from Atlanta, Georgia for the game.He moved to America with his wife, Courtney Jay, in 2021 and said he had explained to her how "you don't get to Wembley very often being a Birmingham fan, so you do everything you can to get back".On Saturday, the team became champions of League One after Wrexham failed to win their lunchtime game at Wigan.
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