West Midlands Trains Joins Destination Coventry as Patron Member

West Midlands Trains is making it cheaper and more efficient for businesses and students to book travel after joining a leading destination management organisation as part of its commitment to supporting the visitor economy in Coventry.

The train operating company has joined Destination Coventry - which includes the brands Visit Coventry and Conference Coventry and Warwickshire - as a Patron member. 

Destination Coventry Patrons are members that have pledged to support the wider destination marketing and management efforts to raise the profile of Coventry and the wider region to national and international audiences.

West Midlands Trains operates West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services, including connecting Coventry to Birmingham, London and towns throughout Warwickshire and the Midlands.

The company has a wide range of products available to aid discounted travel for people in Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.

This includes the Just Business platform which is free-to-use and allows businesses to book and manage rail travel across all UK rail operators – not just West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway trains.

It helps businesses to cut travel costs by highlighting the cheapest fares, but also cut out admin and unnecessary paperwork with a secure online account for a business. 

Employees are able to book and pay for their own travel through the secure account and businesses are able to easily track the expenditure.

The streamlined service is quick and easy to set-up and can be done by completing a short online form. It also brings sustainability benefits to a business and allows companies to monitor its travel related carbon footprint.

West Midlands Trains is also seeking to work with schools, colleges and universities in the city to help students access better value travel through its student season ticket initiatives. 

Students over the age of 16 can benefit from half-price travel, with under 15s benefitting from a quarter off their fares. 

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Trains, said: “We are committed to supporting tourism, leisure and hospitality in the West Midlands which is why we have joined Destination Coventry as Patron members.

“By bringing forward new offers and promotional campaigns we hope to be able to play our part in boosting the tourism economy in the city.”

Destination Coventry launched in 2021 and features two established brands, Visit Coventry and Conference Coventry and Warwickshire.

Its Patron members include CV Life, No Ordinary Hospitality Management, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, Events by Amadeus and Coventry Building Society Arena. 

Paul Jones, Managing Director of Destination Coventry, added: “Well-priced, efficient and regular train travel is a key driver for a thriving tourism offer in a city – and in Coventry it is no different.

“West Midlands Trains is a vital stakeholder for the visitor economy in the city, providing a gateway to travellers from all over the country to visit Coventry and experience what the incredible businesses here have to offer.

“We are delighted to have West Midlands Trains on board as Patrons of Destination Coventry and look forward to working closely with their team to bring benefits to their business and also the tourism sector in Coventry.”

West Midlands Trains is encouraging passengers to book tickets directly through its app to avoid booking fees and be able to access a live feed of real-time updates from the network.

For more information visit www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or www.londonnorthwesternrailway