Central Citylink

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4. Questions - Got a question about Central Citylink then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

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6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Central Citylink wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

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8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Central Citylink site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Central Citylink, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Central Citylink, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Rail companies |bgcolor=FFFFFF|image_filename=170518_at_Peterborough.JPG|widthpx=300px|franchise=Part of the Central Franchise
1997 – November 2007|logo_filename=citylinklogo2.jpg|nameforarea=Region|regions=Midlands, [East Anglia|website= www.centraltrains.co.uk/templates/ctIndex.aspx?id=449-->

Central Citylink is the brand name used since 2003 by [Central Trains for their long distance services across the Midlands rail network. Citylink services are clearly distinguished in station announcements and timetables. Citylink also has a separate logo and section of website (see right). Routes The four Central Citylink routes are:

Liverpool Lime Street railway station - Norwich station
Liverpool Lime Street railway station - Birmingham New Street Station (occasionally Preston Railway Station - Birmingham)
Birmingham New Street Station - Stansted Airport station
Nottingham Station - Cardiff Central station

The Future It was announced in October 2005 that the Central franchise will end in April 2007 (later extended to November 2007), as part of a programme to reduce the number of franchises in the Midlands. The Central Trains franchise will be split into three parts, with each amalgamated with another existing franchise. The Citylink services will be affected in the following way:

Cross Country Franchise - this will combine Virgin Cross Country with the Nottingham / Cardiff and the Birmingham / Stansted Central Citylink services. It has been announced that Arriva will take over the franchise under the name CrossCountry.
East Midlands Franchise - the Norwich to Liverpool service will form part of the East Midlands franchise, which will combine Central Trains' East Midlands services with Midland Mainline. It has been announced that a company called Stagecoach Midland Rail will take over operation of the services in November 2007.
West Midlands Franchise - the Liverpool to Birmingham service will become part of the West Midlands franchise, which will see Central Trains services in the West Midlands amalgamated with Silverlink County. It has been announced that a company called London Midland will take over operation of the services in November 2007.

of the type used by Central Citylink of the type used by Central Citylink, seen at Cambridge

Reliability Due to the length of many of the routes (Liverpool to Norwich = 5 hours), services are prone to delays later on in the day, when delays have built up . This is not helped by the fact that Central Citylink operates on certain East-West lines, which are slow and poorly maintained. They also compete with other rail companies on some routes.

Current fleet On the electrified route (Birmingham to Liverpool) British Rail Class 350 units are used. On the other, non- electrified routes, British Rail Class 170 Turbostar units and British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter units are used. All these units are used in conjunction with Central Trains other services.

{| class="wikitable"|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9! rowspan="2" |Class! rowspan="2" |Image! rowspan="2" |Type! colspan="2" |Top speed! rowspan="2" |Number! rowspan="2" |Routes operated! rowspan="2" |Built|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9!mph!km/h|-|British Rail Class 170||diesel multiple unit||[diesel multiple unit||[electric multiple units - [Preston
Birmingham - [Liverpool {{Infobox Rail companies |bgcolor=FFFFFF|image_filename=170518_at_Peterborough.JPG|widthpx=300px|franchise=Part of the Central Franchise
1997 – November 2007|logo_filename=citylinklogo2.jpg|nameforarea=Region|regions=Midlands, [East Anglia|website= www.centraltrains.co.uk/templates/ctIndex.aspx?id=449-->

Central Citylink is the brand name used since 2003 by [Central Trains for their long distance services across the Midlands rail network. Citylink services are clearly distinguished in station announcements and timetables. Citylink also has a separate logo and section of website (see right). Routes The four Central Citylink routes are:

Liverpool Lime Street railway station - Norwich station
Liverpool Lime Street railway station - Birmingham New Street Station (occasionally Preston Railway Station - Birmingham)
Birmingham New Street Station - Stansted Airport station
Nottingham Station - Cardiff Central station

Cross Country Franchise - this will combine Virgin Cross Country with the Nottingham / Cardiff and the Birmingham / Stansted Central Citylink services. It has been announced that Arriva will take over the franchise under the name CrossCountry.
East Midlands Franchise - the Norwich to Liverpool service will form part of the East Midlands franchise, which will combine Central Trains' East Midlands services with Midland Mainline. It has been announced that a company called Stagecoach Midland Rail will take over operation of the services in November 2007.
West Midlands Franchise - the Liverpool to Birmingham service will become part of the West Midlands franchise, which will see Central Trains services in the West Midlands amalgamated with Silverlink County. It has been announced that a company called London Midland will take over operation of the services in November 2007.