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.
Train services along the 16-mile line have been reintroduced by London Northwestern Railway on a limited morning and afternoon peak time weekday basis, pending the introduction of a full timetable on the route in the New Year, following completion of driver training on the Class 150/1 diesel multiple units that have been cascaded to LNR from Northern and are now being used on the line.
The three trains have been rebranded into a metallic green Marston Vale line version of LNR’s livery, but the interiors are as they were when operated by Northern, which has sub-leased 150137/139/141 to LNR. The trains have all undergone Northern’s digital upgrade programme, featuring USB charging points and upgraded passenger information screens, as well as having accessible toilets.
When passenger services are not operating along the route during the week and at weekends, rail replacement bus services – in place since train services were suspended on December 1, 2022 – will continue to serve the 12 stations along the line. Railways Illustrated joined passengers on the first train from Bedford towards Bletchley on November 20, which was worked by 150139, while the other set in use was 150137. A healthy number of passengers were observed travelling during the morning rush-hour.
The initial service features four passenger trains a day in each direction between Monday and Friday – 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.
