The upgrade proposes to deliver six trains per hour through the core of the Cross City Line, with four starting at Lichfield Trent Valley and two at Four Oaks.

Labour MP for Lichfield Dave Robertson said the funding news was "absolutely brilliant" for people travelling between Staffordshire and Birmingham.

He described how a decrease since the pandemic to just two trains an hour between Lichfield and Birmingham had led to overcrowding and was "stifling... opportunity" for local people.

"The Midlands Rail Hub would not only bring our trains back but it'll guarantee them. So actually we can be safe and secure in the knowledge that those opportunities will be available for people in the future," he said.