Vivarail has announced that the first of the new trains for the Marston Vale line has been delivered to the Bletchley depot.
The new train, 230003, has been out on the mainline completing test runs to make sure that everything is set for introduction to passenger trains.
Vivarail's Class 230 trains are converted London Underground D78 stock trains that run on battery power. Along with the Marston Vale line, these Class 230 trains will also be running in Wales under the new Wales and Borders franchise.
230003 will come into passenger service, along with sister units 230004 and 230005, in December this year.
The Class 230 trains will run alongside the Class 150s and 153 that currently operate on the line.
About the Marston Vale line
The Marston Vale line runs between Bletchley and Bedford in England. It was formerly part of the Varsity Line between Oxford and Cambridge.
The line is operated by West Midlands Trains, who operate as London Northwestern Railway.
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I think that West Midlands Trains should order few more of the Class 230 and operate them on Coventry-Nuneaton and Coventry-Leamington Spa and to work alongside the Class 172 that will be cascaded from London Overground in November when the Class 710 enters service on the Gospel Oak-Barking Line.