Marston vale reopening to be celebrated with train naming

One of the three dedicated Class 150/1 DMUs in operation on the Marston Vale route between Bedford and Bletchley is to be named following a competition organised by London Northwestern Railway and the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership. On November 20, 2023, 150137 stands at Bletchley station, having worked morning peak services on the route following the reintroduction of limited services. A full service was brought into use from February 19.

Andy Coward

AS REPORTED in our last issue, a full rail service resumed on the Marston Vale Line between Bletchley and Bedford from February 19. Now, route operator London Northwestern Railway has announced that one of the dedicated Class 150/1 diesel multiple units used on the route is to be named following a competition to find an appropriate name for the DMU.

A partial service has been running on the line since LNR acquired three Class 150/1 DMUs – 150137/139/141 – from Northern to operate services on the route, with a limited daily service in operation since November 2023. Rail replacement bus services had been in operation since December 2022 after Vivarail, the company which maintained the Class 230 trains previously used on the route, entered administration.

Reintroduction of the Class 230s was quickly ruled out by LNR, but due to the short platforms on the Marston Vale Line, only certain types of train can be used on the route, with the Northern Class 150/1 identified as being a suitable replacement.

The competition to name a train closed on March 4, with the operator seeking suggestions which celebrate people and places along the Mar