JUST 10 days short of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of services on the Bedford to Bletchley Marston Vale line, passengers were finally able to travel on the route again from November 20.
Train services on the 16-mile route have been reintroduced by London Northwestern Railway on a limited morning and afternoon peak time weekday basis, pending the introduction of a full timetable in the New Year following completion of driver training on the Class 150/1 diesel multiple units now used on the line. At times when train services are not operating on the route during the week and at weekends, a rail replacement bus service will continue to serve the 12 stations along the line.
The initial service will feature four trains a day in each direction – two in the morning and two in the afternoon – with departures from Bletchley towards Bedford at 07.18, 08.00, 15.45 and 17.45 for the 42-minute journey that also serves intermediate stations at Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick and Bedford St John’s.
In the opposite direction, trains will depart from Bedford towards Bletchley at 08.08, 09.17, 16.47 and 18.47, with a journey time of 41 minutes and trains calling at the same intermediate stations.
LNR customer experience director Jonny Wiseman said: “We are delighted to announce the return of passenger trains to the Marston Vale Line. We recognise that due to logistical constraints it has taken longer than we had hoped to bring back the train service and we thank our customers for their patience.
“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.”
Services on the line were suspended on December 1, 2022, when rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail went into
