Stagecoach to rebrand Midland Mainline trains

The Midland Mainline brand is being axed as incoming rail franchise holder Stagecoach looks to overhaul its marketing strategy.

The transport giant is planning to rebrand rail services in the Midlands after winning the new East Midlands rail franchise. The company will begin services in November after signing a seven-year deal but has yet to disclose the name services will operate under. The National Express Group currently runs the bulk of the franchise as Midland Mainline. The new franchise now also includes the regional services operating as Central Trains.

National Express lost out after bidding against the winning Stagecoach Midland Rail, Arriva Trains East Midlands (Arriva) and First East Midlands (First Group).

A Stagecoach spokesman says the new franchise will operate under a single overarching brand and a marketing strategy is being developed to target the different customer segments. “There’s a lot of different markets for this franchise with short and long distance commuters, leisure and business travellers,” he says.