Chiltern Railways will be the first domestic rail company to offer a premium economy class when it launches Business Zone on its new Mainline services between Birmingham and London Marylebone on 5 September.

Business Zone will consist of 30 wide seats with tables, Wi-Fi and plug sockets. Passengers will pay a £20 supplement each way on top of their standard class fare. These upgrades are only available at the station or by paying onboard.

The company says the seats will offer 520mm of legroom and are 530mm wide, which it claims is bigger than any first class train service on the route. Business Zone fares will not include food or drink but these will be available at-seat.

Thomas Ableman, Chiltern Railways’ marketing director, said “Businesses told us that space to work and a decent internet connection were absolutely essential. They also told us that additional privacy at key times for increased productivity was valuable. What they didn’t value was paying over £100 extra for a sandwich, pretzels and a single glass of wine. We believe the premium economy service in the Business Zone creates a new class of travel that could signal the end of first class business travel across the industry.”

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