Chiltern Railways showcases modern train to replace carriages from 1970s

A train operator has unveiled the first of its modern trains which will replace carriages that are nearly 50 years old.

Chiltern Railways described the showcase of a Mark 5A train at London’s Marylebone station on Tuesday as a “tangible sign of better times ahead” for passengers.

Its 13-strong fleet of Mark 5As will enter public service from early next year.

The trains were first launched in 2019 by TransPennine Express but were withdrawn in December 2023.

Chiltern Railways will use them to replace its Mark 3A diesel trains, which date back to the 1970s.

The modern trains have features such as plug sockets and USB ports at every seat, enhanced wi-fi and digital information screens.

They also have first class sections, which can be used for a fee – still to be announced – paid onboard.

The trains will enable additional services to be added to timetables from December 2026.

This will create a half-hourly frequency between Marylebone and Birmingham.

Chiltern Railways managing director Richard Allan said this will be “really important”.

He told reporters: “If you can offer (passengers) a half-hour frequency and it’s consistent, you don’t have to really check the timetable.

“Offering that consistency we know is good for customer confidence.

“The fact that we’ve got more trains means we can offer more services, that means more seats.

“For customers that’s about 10,000 extra seats each weekday from the end of 2026.”

The operator will power the trains with recycled vegetable oil.