Chiltern Railways has placed the first of 13 new trains into passenger service on routes between London Marylebone and the West Midlands, with the initial unit entering service on 26 January 2026.
The trains operate via Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire and are replacing locomotive-hauled trainsets formed of British Rail-built coaches. The outgoing vehicles have been in service for close to 50 years, with the remaining sets scheduled to leave the fleet by the end of March 2026.
Full fleet availability is scheduled for December 2026 following completion of staff training and commissioning. From that timetable change, Chiltern Railways intends to provide up to 10,000 additional seats per weekday across its network, including a 30-minute weekday frequency between the West Midlands and London Marylebone.
The 13 trains carry the fleet name “Chiltern Explorers”, selected by customers through focus group consultation. The designation is being applied across on-board systems, passenger information and station signage.
Each train is fitted with power sockets and USB ports at every seat, air conditioning, digital passenger information screens, luggage and bicycle storage, and First Class accommodation. Accessibility features include dedicated wheelchair areas, accessible toilets and revised boarding and seating layouts.
Chiltern Railways stated that the additional capacity will also allow an increase in weekend services, with details to be confirmed ahead of the December 2026 timetable change.
