Train services resume between Bedford and Bletchley

Train services resumed this morning (Monday) on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford and Bletchley.

Operator London Northwestern Railway (LNR) ran its first service on the line since December 2022 – the 7.18am departure from Bletchley.

The line had been served by rail replacement buses for the best part of a year after the company which maintained the Class 230 trains entered administration.

Due to the very short platforms on the Marston Vale Line, only certain types of train can be used on the route – LNR has arranged the transfer of three Class 150 trains from elsewhere in the country so a service can be restored.

Visit here for details of the partial timetable

Four services in each direction will initially run on the route on Monday to Friday. The services will be focused on the morning and afternoon peak periods – with rail replacement buses continuing to operate at other times.

The full timetable – including the return of a Saturday service – is expected to resume early next year once enough train crew are able to operate the Class 150 fleet.

The Class 150 trains have been refurbished, feature USB charging points throughout the carriages and capacity for 173 passengers.

Jonny Wiseman – LNR customer experience director – said: “While we will initially be running a partial timetable, we are working hard to train our drivers and senior conductors as quickly as possible with a view to resuming the full service in the new year.”