Trains on the Marston Vale Line (Bedford - Bletchley/Milton Keynes) - Update

News dated 14 August from the Marston Vale Line Community Rail Partnership-

"The three Class 150s which will serve the Marston Vale Line have arrived at Bletchley Station. All are formed of 2 carriages.
Each unit has an accessible toilet and can accommodate wheelchairs, buggies and cycles.
The units are currently having the London Northwestern Railway livery applied to replace the existing Northern Trains branding.
Train crew and technician training is due to start shortly ready for the resumption of train services in the Autumn. "

The 150's are 40 year old trains, and they have served the Marston Vale line in the past- they were the staple rolling stock of the line for many years, and are a good workhorse train for the nature of the route. While there are Class 150 haters out there, frankly they are a good train for the task, and any train is better than the current bus replacement.
Apparently more modern rolling stock may not fit the platforms of the stations on the line either.

With three units in place it is currently unclear if the full timetable will be restored sooner than the New Year.

I wonder if they are 150200s or 150100s with the inward opening guard's door? I know from personal experience that 200s just fit on most of the Marston Vale platforms and it is a bit of a jump down at several stations for the Guard on 100s. 153s worked really well except for the school run and peaks...

It sounds promising. Maybe they will just have sub-links that can all be refreshed (old hands) or trained (newbies) fairly quickly initially. Lets hope...

and I wonder if these units are the same ones we sent north?

150100- one of the units is 150141 (from the MVCRP image)- don't know what the other two units are. I can't find the ECS working into Bletchley from whichever Northern Depot they came from- EDITED- according to BBC News they've been at Bletchley since July so no chance of tracing the ECS

Bletchley TMD Lives Again!!

... and the withdrawn trains are sitting most of the time in Reading TMD.

one wonders if they will ever turn a wheel again. Or if that ship has sailed.

Shame since the basic premise works, mostly. Surely the concept isn't rocket science and somebody could have trained maintenance staff by now. Or hire the originals into a company. Shame.

The other experiment, the Parry People Mover, seems to still be going, doesn't it?

The other 5 no. 230's are now in service, sometimes, with Transport for Wales, between Bidston and Wrexham- although they seem to be beset by technical problems.

The ex Marston Vale line sets are supposedly going to be trialled on the Greenford branch, to replace the Class 165 diesel unit there, allegedly, as that line is low priority for electrification.

I keep forgetting about the Parry People Mover- I will have to visit that when I go down for the Wolverhampton Station tram extension opening- whenever that finally happens.

GWR have also acquired a large number of unconverted D78 units which they can use for further conversations should the tests go well, for various Thames Valley branches. Since they were all acquired at scrap value including the Marston Vale units I guess the punt might not be too expensive if it doesn't come off.

I've found a picture of the other end of the rake from inside Bletchley Shed, and that's 150139, so presumably it's 150140 sandwiched in the middle.

This is the latest update from London North Western with traincrew training about to start. The third unit can now be seen to be 150137- https://media.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/service-disruptions/marston-vale-line-buses-replace-trains-until-autumn-2023?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo

The two driver trainer instructors passed out on 22 September, driver training starts on 25 September

isn31 I’m Chuckling a bit.

In American terminology “passed out” usually means a medical situation OR the individuals were drunk.

Claudia,

Yes, "passed out" in this context means passed their own exams to be driver trainers both on the route and on the train type. I guess graduated is the US term. I'm not familiar enough with US railroad rules to know the equivalent technical term there. I should be after the fatal accident on the Amtrak Cascades service, but am not.

I was actually reading a facebook post from one of the trainers concerned.

In a more everyday sense "passed out" means the same things here- drunk or a medical issue.

I understood what your use of the phraseology meant.

Merely stated I was amused.

Finally services will be resumed on a date yet to be confirmed in November, initially with peak hour weekday trains only- the rest still being replaced by buses. But the service will improve over time.
Trains will leave Bletchley at 0718. 0800, 1545 and 1745; and Bedford at 0808, 0917, 1647 and 1747.

Rail Head Treatment trains are already running to ready the tracks for passenger use again.

Trains again!!

Trains will resume running over the line from the 20th of November. That's a week on Monday.

First since December 2022 when the company which created and were maintaining the exotic experimental trains being used at the time went bust.

Initially only at peak times, "Four services in each direction will initially run on the route on Monday-Fridays. The services will be focused on the morning and afternoon peak periods, with rail replacement buses continuing to operate at other times." but more crew are being trained and it should be a full service early next year.

"The full timetable, including the return of a Saturday service, is expected to resume in early 2024 once enough train crew are able to operate the Class 150 fleet."

Quotes from London Northwestern Railway who operate the line.

Good News.

I can confirm that the line has re-opened today with it's restricted service- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guZ6lpsGvVc