Chiltern Railways facts for kids

Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It has been running trains since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been part of Arriva UK Trains.

The company was first called M40 Trains. It was started by former managers from British Rail. In June 1996, M40 Trains won the right to operate the Chiltern Railways service. They officially took over on July 21, 1996.

Chiltern Railways quickly started improving the Chiltern Main Line. This project was called Evergreen. They also ordered new Class 168 Clubman diesel multiple units (DMUs). These new trains helped with the growing number of passengers.

In August 2000, Chiltern Railways was given a 20-year contract to run the railway. This led to more improvements, like building new platforms at London Marylebone. In January 2010, a big £250 million upgrade was agreed. This upgrade made the line faster, allowing trains to go up to 100 miles per hour. This greatly reduced travel times.

In 2008, a German railway company called Deutsche Bahn bought Chiltern Railways. Later, in 2011, Chiltern became part of Arriva UK Trains. Around this time, Chiltern was known as one of the best train operators in Britain. However, new timetables introduced in the 2010s sometimes caused problems for passengers.

A major event happened on June 30, 2005, when the Gerrards Cross Tunnel collapsed. This forced the main line to close for six weeks. Tesco, which was building a supermarket over the tunnel, paid money to Chiltern Railways for the disruption.

Chiltern Railways runs passenger services from London Marylebone. These trains go along the M40 route to places in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. They also run longer journeys to the West Midlands.

History of Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways was started by former managers from British Rail. They wanted to buy one of the new railway services being created. In April 1995, they got a license from the railway regulator. They teamed up with investment groups John Laing and 3i.

In October 1995, the company M40 Trains Limited was formed. The railway managers owned 51% of the company. In June 1996, M40 Trains won the contract to operate the Chiltern Railways service.

On July 21, 1996, the company officially began running trains. Chiltern Railways was the first railway company after privatization to order new trains. These were the Class 168 Clubman diesel multiple units. At first, these new trains had some problems because they were rushed into service.

By April 1999, the company had more staff and ran more services than British Rail did before. The money they received from the government each year slowly decreased.

In early 1999, the John Laing Group bought more shares in M40 Trains. They then owned 84% of the company. In August 2000, M40 Trains won a new 20-year contract. This new contract started on March 3, 2002.

In August 2002, John Laing bought all the remaining shares of M40 Trains. In September 2006, a company called Henderson Equity Partners bought John Laing.

In December 2004, Chiltern Railways took over services on the Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon line.

In mid-2005, Chiltern Railways' services faced big problems because of the Gerrards Cross Tunnel collapse. In 1996, Tesco wanted to build a supermarket near Gerrards Cross railway station. They started building a tunnel over the active railway line. On June 30, 2005, the tunnel collapsed. No one was hurt, but the railway line had to close for over six weeks. It reopened on August 20, 2005. Tesco paid a lot of money to Chiltern Railways and Network Rail for the disruption.

In July 2007, the owners decided to sell Chiltern Railways. In January 2008, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn bought it. In early 2011, Chiltern Railways became part of Arriva UK Trains.

In May 2011, Chiltern took over services on the Oxford–Bicester line. On October 26, 2015, the company opened two new stations: Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village. In December 2016, Chiltern Railways started running trains from Oxford to London Marylebone.

In 2021, Chiltern was given a new contract by the government. This contract will last until December 12, 2027.

Chiltern Railways was one of the train companies affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes. These were the first national rail strikes in the UK in 30 years. Workers went on strike because of disagreements over pay and working conditions.

What Services Chiltern Railways Offers

The main entrance to London Marylebone

Chiltern Railways runs regular trains on five main routes.

The Chiltern Main Line is the most important route for Chiltern Railways. It connects London (Marylebone station) and Birmingham (Snow Hill station). The line passes through towns like High Wycombe, Banbury, and Warwick. Chiltern Railways runs different types of trains on this line. Some are local trains that stop at many stations. Others are express trains that go directly between London and Birmingham. The fastest journey from Birmingham to London on this route takes 99 minutes.

The London–Aylesbury line is another important route. It links London (Marylebone) with Aylesbury. All Chiltern Railways trains on this route go the full distance. Most trains continue one station further to Aylesbury Vale Parkway. Part of this line shares tracks with the London Underground's Metropolitan line. Beyond Amersham, only Chiltern Railways trains operate.

The other three routes are smaller branch lines. The Aylesbury–Princes Risborough line connects Princes Risborough with Aylesbury. Most trains on this line continue to London Marylebone. This gives Aylesbury another way to reach central London. The Oxford–Bicester line connects Oxford with Bicester. This line is mostly used by express trains to and from Marylebone. The Leamington–Stratford line goes from Hatton to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Here is a simple look at the routes during off-peak times, Monday to Friday:

Special Train Services

The booking hall and main entrance to Banbury

Chiltern Railways runs a few special train services.

• Cherwell Valley line: There is one train each day from Oxford to Banbury. It runs on Tuesdays to Saturdays just after midnight. This train helps Chiltern Railways' drivers stay familiar with the route.
• Buckinghamshire Railway Centre: On some Bank Holiday Mondays, trains go beyond Aylesbury to the Buckinghamshire Railway Heritage Centre at Quainton Road. This allows visitors to reach the heritage center by train.

Tickets and Seating

Interior of a Business Zone carriage of a Chiltern Railways service.

Chiltern Railways offers tickets that are often cheaper than other train services. They only have one class of seating, unlike some other companies that have both standard and first class.

Until January 2022, Chiltern had a "Business Zone" carriage on some of its trains. Passengers could pay extra to sit in a larger, more comfortable seat. This zone used to offer free drinks and snacks, but this service stopped in 2017.

Since January 2022, the "Business Zone" is no longer offered. Now, anyone with a valid ticket can use these seats at no extra cost.

Train Performance

A refurbished Class 165 unit near South Hampstead

When Chiltern Railways first started, it faced some criticism. In 1998, its trains were not always on time or reliable. This led to the company paying fines and giving refunds to passengers.

By the mid-2010s, Chiltern was seen as one of the best train operators in Britain. Their trains were on time more than 90% of the time. However, new timetables introduced in late 2015 caused punctuality to drop.

Chiltern's performance is measured strictly. Trains are considered on time if they arrive within five minutes of schedule. Other long-distance train companies have a ten-minute window.

New timetables in September 2011 and December 2012 caused some frustration for customers. People started petitions and articles appeared in local newspapers about the problems.

Chiltern passenger numbers in millions (annual rolling average) 2010/11-2018/19 Q1.

Project Evergreen: Improving the Railway

Evergreen is the name for the big improvement projects Chiltern Railways has done. These projects aim to make the routes and services better. There have been three main phases.

Evergreen 1

The first phase focused on adding a second track to parts of the Chiltern Main Line. This happened between Princes Risborough and Bicester North in 1998, and later to Aynho Junction in 2001. Some stations were also rebuilt. For example, Haddenham and Thame Parkway got a second platform. The speed limit for trains was also increased after these improvements.

Evergreen 2

Phase 2 started after Chiltern won its 20-year contract in 2000. A major part of this phase was changing the railway line near Beaconsfield. This allowed trains to go faster, up to 75 miles per hour. Other improvements included better signaling and building two new platforms at London Marylebone station. A new train depot was also built at Wembley.

Evergreen 3

In January 2010, the government, Chiltern Railways, and Network Rail agreed to a £250 million upgrade for the Chiltern Main Line.

Phase 1: Faster Journeys

Phase 1 is now finished. It involved upgrading the Marylebone – Birmingham Chiltern Main Line. This allowed trains to run at 100 miles per hour on an extra 50 miles of track. Junctions were changed to allow higher speeds. New tracks and sidings were added at various points. Two extra platforms were reopened at Birmingham Moor Street in December 2010.

These speed increases have made journeys much shorter. For example, the fastest journey from Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street is now 90 minutes. Before, it was 117 minutes. The former chairman of Chiltern Railways, Adrian Shooter, said this project was special because it didn't need money from taxpayers.

Here's how much faster journeys became:

Phase 2: Connecting Oxford

Construction of Oxford Parkway station in April 2015

In October 2012, work began on Phase 2 of Evergreen 3. This phase connected London Marylebone with Oxford. A new double track was built to link the Oxford–Bicester line to the Chiltern Main Line. This allowed new train services between Oxford and London Marylebone.

A new station, Oxford Parkway, was built. Services between Oxford Parkway and London started on October 26, 2015. The link from Oxford Parkway to Oxford city center opened on December 12, 2016. All signals on this route are controlled from the Marylebone Signalling Centre.

As part of Phase 2, the Oxford to Bicester Village service was transferred to Chiltern in May 2011. Part of the line was restored to a double track. New platforms were added at Oxford, Islip, and Bicester Village.

Chiltern Railways' Trains

Class 165 Networker Turbos at Chiltern Railways' main London terminus, Marylebone

Chiltern Railways started with 34 Class 165 Turbos diesel multiple units (DMUs) from British Rail. They promised to get new trains. In December 2004, five more Class 165s were added. Between 2003 and 2005, all 39 Class 165s were updated. They got air conditioning and a first-class seating area. These trains are mostly used for services to Aylesbury and Banbury.

Chiltern also ordered several groups of Class 168 Clubman DMUs. These trains started running between 1998 and 2004. They are used all over the network.

In April 2003, Chiltern brought back a single Class 121 Bubble Car for use on the Aylesbury to Princes Risborough route. A second one followed in May 2011. However, on May 19, 2017, these old trains stopped running because it was hard to find spare parts.

In January 2008, Chiltern ordered four Class 172 Turbostars. These started service in June 2011. They cannot run on London Underground lines unless they are attached to a Class 165 or 168 train. In 2021, all of Chiltern's Class 172s were moved to another train company. It was later announced they would not return to Chiltern.

Starting in December 2010, Chiltern began running two special services during busy times. These used a Class 67 diesel locomotive pulling Mark 3 coaches and a Driving Van Trailer. These trains had a Mainline logo and blue stripes.

In 2012, the Mark 3 coaches were updated. They got new sliding doors and better toilets. More Mark 3 coaches are planned to be updated in the future.

Between 2015 and 2016, Class 170 Turbostars were transferred to Chiltern Railways. These were updated to work with Chiltern's existing Class 168s and were renamed Class 168/3s.

In early 2014, Chiltern Railways started using six Class 68 locomotives. These replaced the older Class 67s on the London Marylebone to Birmingham service.

In July 2021, Chiltern Railways changed one of its Class 168 units into a Battery Hybrid train, called "HybridFlex". It started running in February 2022. The HybridFlex train uses less fuel, is quieter, and is better for the environment.

In August 2023, Chiltern Railways started looking for new trains.

Current Trains

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Networker	165/0 Networker Turbo		DMU	75	120	28	2	All Chiltern Railways services (apart from Mainline services)	1990–1992
						11	3
Bombardier Turbostar	168 Clubman			100	160	5	4	Chiltern Mainline and some local services	1998
						6	3		2000
						2	4
						3	3		2004
						3	4
						9	2		2000
Stadler UKLight	68		Diesel locomotive			8	6	Chiltern Main Line services	2014
	Mark 3		Passenger carriage	125	200	25			1975–1988
	Driving Van Trailer		Control car			6			1988

Past Trains

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Qty.	Carriages	Routes operated	Built	Withdrawn
			mph	km/h
67		Diesel locomotive	125	200	5	N/A	Chiltern Main Line services	1999–2000	December 2014
121		DMU	70	112	2	1	Aylesbury–Princes Risborough	1959–60	19 May 2017
172/1			100	160	4	2	All Chiltern Railways services (apart from London-Amersham/Aylesbury line)	2011	May 2021

Future Plans

After the Evergreen projects, other ideas for improving Chiltern's routes have been discussed. These include:

• Upgrading the line to new platforms at Old Oak Common. This would also extend to London Paddington to add more capacity.
• Making the line even faster at Beaconsfield to achieve a 90-minute journey time between London and Birmingham.
• Remodeling Banbury Station and its tracks.
• Building a new station at West Hampstead interchange. This would allow easier connections to other train and Underground lines.
• Creating a "Chiltern Metro Service" with more frequent trains for local stations. This would need changes like new reversing tracks.
• Re-opening the passenger line between Oxford and Bedford. This is part of the East West Rail project.
• Extending Oyster Pay-as-you-go to High Wycombe and Aylesbury.

Since the main Evergreen projects are finished, there isn't a clear plan for when these other projects might happen.

See also

In Spanish: Chiltern Railways para niños

• London Midland
• Varsity Line