UK: Chiltern Railways has unveiled the first of its future MkVa push-pull trainsets as it prepares to bring them into service between London Marylebone and Birmingham in early 2026.
The 13 five-car sets of CAF coaches and 14 Stadler Valencia Class 68 locomotives which were used by TransPennine Express until December 2023 are being leased from Beacon Rail.
An additional Class 68 has also been leased for rescue and recovery duties. However, this will not be able to haul the coaches in passenger service as it does not have specific modifications to work with the MkVa sets.
Fleet modernisation
The MkVa coaches are needed to replace four life-expired six-car rakes of MkIII vehicles which are approaching 50 years old and are due to be withdrawn next year.
The previous government asked Chiltern to look at fleets being released, but in 2024 insiders reported frustration over delays to agreeing a plan with the Department for Transport, while other operators were taking the available surplus Class 175 and Class 222 DMUs.
Beacon Rail was the only supplier that could meet Chiltern’s requirement for the turnkey supply of fixed formations of five passenger vehicles able to enter service from March 31 2026.
The first seven sets will initially join Chiltern under a deal which sees Beacon organise their maintenance until December 2026. This will be undertaken at Eastleigh.
Chiltern is currently evaluating several bids for a separately procured long-term servicing contract covering the full fleet for the rest of the 10-year lease period.
The previous 30-day maintenance cycle for the locomotives had been a major challenge at TPE, as it did not align with the 45-day interval for the coaches.
This has been resolved by bringing in additional depot checks which will allow both to to be maintained on a 45-day cycle. This will remove the need for regular uncoupling and coupling of the locomotives, which was proving to be a significant cause of failures.
MkVa operations
The first of the MkVa sets are expected to enter service in early 2026 and the rest will be phased in through the year.
The introduction of the full fleet by the end of 2026 will enable all Birmingham to London Marylebone services to be operated by MkVa sets, as well as the handful of trains that continue to or from Stourbridge Junction.
Chiltern anticipates diagramming 10 of the 13 sets for daily service but good reliability could see this raised to 11 sets.
Once all the sets are in service Chiltern will have added 10 000 additional seats per day to its total capacity, releasing Class 165 and 168 DMUs to strengthen currently crowded trains.
The operator said it was also working with partners to confirm details of additional services which would start in December 2026. The unveiling of the first trainset on October 12 set was ‘a positive, tangible sign of better times ahead for customers’, said Chiltern Railways Managing Director Richard Allan. ‘There are better onboard facilities and more services planned from the end of 2026, subject to the usual rail industry approval processes.’
Modified trainsets
Work to prepare the sets for service with Chiltern has included a new livery and a series of modifications to the Class 68 locomotives which attracted criticism during their time at TPE because of the noise created when they are idling.
As well as modifications to the silencers, baffles have been fitted to the large side panels on the locomotives which help to deaden the very low frequency sounds which were causing the most annoyance.
The locos have also been modified to use HVO fuel, and fitted with stop/start technology that will see the engines shutting down after a short period of idling.
The air-conditioned coaches feature digital information screens, wi-fi and power sockets and USB ports at every seat. There is improved luggage and bike storage compared to the MkIII stock.
Significant improvements for customers with accessibility needs include fully-accessible toilets and better boarding and seating arrangements.
Chiltern’s services are currently all standard class, but the MkVa sets will include a first class coach. This will initially require an on-the-day supplement, but once all sets are in service the plan is to offer first class Advance fares on selected services.
Refreshments will not initially be offered, but the trains are fitted with a small onboard galley and Chiltern is assessing the business case.
Battery trains and wiring
At the launch event Allan said Chiltern was ’making good progress with our vision and plan to modernise and decarbonise’ the business, adding that the next stage was ’to continue working with Network Rail and the Department of Transport on the business case to replace our 35-year-old diesel trains with battery-electric trains’.
This would include partial electrification of the Chiltern route. Initial evaluations suggest that if around 25% of the tracks were wired there would be ample time and capacity to charge batteries for the unwired sections, including the tunnels on the approaches to Marylebone station where the installation of overhead electrification could be very disruptive.
