Chiltern Railways unveils its newest trains set to transport Aylesbury commuters
Chiltern Railways has released details of its newest trains that will transport passengers in and out of Aylesbury.
Today, the transport provider has confirmed the new trains it will be using across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands.
Chiltern Railways has revealed that it is replacing its trains which are Mark 3s with 13 Mark 5A vehicles. The new vehicles are described as modern builds and they will transport passengers on its three main train lines between the midlands and London, next year.
New features have been added to these trains including plug sockets and USB ports at every seat, what the rail service describes as advanced Wi-Fi, and digital customer information screens.
New trains will have air conditioning and they will include improved luggage and bike storage and accessible toilets, according to Chiltern Railways.
These trains will also have a first-class section, something not included in the company’s current fleet. A spokesperson said: “Chiltern has decided to fuel these newer trains with recycled vegetable oil (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a renewable fuel that reduces carbon emissions and cuts pollutants such as nitrous oxide compared to conventional diesel.”
Chiltern Railways says the trains will be rolled out in a phased process next year.
Richard Allan, managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: “We are thrilled for our customers that we will be able to replace our oldest trains, which are nearly 50 years old, and replace them with their modern equivalent that are just six years old and provide significant improvement to their on-board experience.
“Chiltern will be renting more trains than it has today which means we can operate additional services from the end of 2026 to help meet rising demand. The trains will be formed of modern carriages hauled by locomotives fuelled by recycled vegetable oil and fitted with the latest stop-start engine technology.
“Our 2030 vision includes a three-phase plan to modernise and decarbonise our trains. Phase one is underway with interior improvements to our existing diesel trains; phase two is to replace our oldest trains – today's announcement; we remain ambitious and determined to achieve phase three of our vision, which is to replace our 35-year-old diesel trains with battery-electric trains.”