Autumn peak-hour resumption for Marston Vale train services
MORNING AND evening peak-hour train services on London Northwestern Railway’s Marston Vale line will resume this autumn, followed by the reintroduction of a full timetable from January 2024.
The Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley has been without a passenger service since December 1 last year, when train building and maintenance company Vivarail entered administration. The Class 230 diesel multiple unit trains in use were immediately withdrawn from service with LNR, as Vivarail was also responsible for maintenance of the trains, with their reinstatement under different maintenance arrangements quickly ruled out. Staff employed by Vivarail at Bletchley depot were made redundant by the administrator.
The reliability of the three dedicated trains had also caused problems for the operator due to the number of times engines needed to be replaced. LNR has since struggled to reinstate services on the route, mainly because of the need for trains to be no more than 40 metres in length due to platform lengths and signalling considerations. LNR has Class 170, 172 and 196 DMUS in sister company West Midlands Railway’s fleet, but all of these are too long to work services on the Marston Vale line.
Agreement has now been reached for three Class 150/1 DMUS to be transferred to LNR from Northern, and the DMUS involved – 150137/139/141 – were expected to be delivered to Bletchley depot in late July.
In an update issued by LNR on July 14, the operator said: “Final preparations are now being made at our Bletchley depot to receive the Class 150 trains which will serve the Marston Vale Line. Arrangements have been made for LNR livery to be applied.
“In the meantime, we are continuing to ready our training programmes for our technicians and train crew so they can get under way promptly. It is essential that this training is completed before we can bring the Class 150s into passenger service. “We will shortly begin liaising with community stakeholders over the proposed timings of the morning and evening peak-time service, which we will reinstate on the Marston Vale line this autumn, ahead of the restoration of the full timetable by January 2024.”
Meanwhile, it is understood that the three former Marston Vale Class 230 DMUS – 230003-230005 – are to be moved from Bletchley to Great Western Railway’s depot at Reading for continued storage. GWR has bought the remaining former London Underground D-78 Stock and Vivarail’s fastcharge battery technology, these assets being offered for disposal by the administrator charged with winding up the company’s affairs.