Chiltern MK5s Starting 2026 (non speculative updates thread)

[Harlequinuk]

Not bad. I think I would reverse the colours at one end, though, as it looks a bit odd when the light blue is next to the light blue door, would be better for PRM then too. I'd probably also have the loco in a single colour, probably the mid blue, so it doesn't look odd when the other way round.

It reminds me of the Night Star livery ; in blue not green of course

 

[43102EMR]

It's highly unlikely that Chiltern (or any TOC) would introduce a livery without having undertaken the necessary compliance testing, so I'm sure it meets the necessary standard even if it doesn't appear to.

Didn’t SWR have to change their livery slightly on the Desiros as it wasn’t fully compliant?

 

[AJDesiro]

Didn’t SWR have to change their livery slightly on the Desiros as it wasn’t fully compliant?

Next to the doors there is some light grey vinyl plonked over the bottom navy stripe on the livery to alleviate this.
(Image shows the aforementioned vinyl next to the door on an SWR Desiro)

 

[p.d87]

From the video i, posted, there is a no entry sign on that door

Which begs the question of why paint it in the lighter blue.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Which begs the question of why paint it in the lighter blue.

Helps rescue staff find doors?

 

[43096]

Next to the doors there is some light grey vinyl plonked over the bottom navy stripe on the livery to alleviate this.
(Image shows the aforementioned vinyl next to the door on an SWR Desiro)

Which the 701s don’t have… are they non-compliant?

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Thursday 25th September
Driver Training Mk5s
68029 and CH02 - Wembley LMD > 3U20 > 3H22 > 3E23 > Wembley LMD
68022 and CH12 - Stourbridge Depot > 3N01 > 3T04 > Stourbridge Depot
68020 and CH05 (Reliveried Blue Set) - Eastleigh T&RSMD > 5Q69 > 5Q70 > 5Q71 > 5Q72 > 5Q73 > 5Q86 > Eastleigh T&RSMD
68030 and Unknown Set and 68028 - Banbury Depot

Passenger Mk3s
68009 and AL01 - Stourbridge Depot > 5R17 > 1H17 > 1R21 > 1H45 > 1J49 > 5J49 > Stourbridge Depot
68012 and AL03 - Stourbridge Depot > 5J14 > 1H14 > 1R17 > 1H41 > 5E37 > Wembley LMD
68010 and AL04 - Wembley LMD > 5P08 > 1H12 > 5E16 > Wembley LMD > 5O62 > 1J53 > 5J53 > Stourbridge Depot
68014 and AL02 - Wembley LMD > 5P05 > 1H10 > 5Y14 > Wembley LMD > 5O55 > 1P51 > 5H68 > 5E60 > Wembley LMD

Current 68s (MK3s) available for Chiltern Railways use
68008 - XHCS - No, DRS use.
68009 - XHCS - Yes
68010 - XHCE - Yes
68011 - XHCE - No, DRS use. At Gresty Bridge
68012 - XHCE - Yes
68013 - XHCE - 0Z13 via WCML > Crewe Gresty Bridge
68014 - XHCE - Yes
68015 - XHCE - 0Z15 via WCML > Wembley LMD

Loco Moves
68015 - Crewe Gresty Bridge > 0Z15 via WCML > Wembley LMD
68013 - Wembley LMD > 0Z13 via WCML > Crewe Gresty Bridge

68012 was out on 1P51 yesterday not 68014.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Friday 26th September
Testing and Driver Training Mk5s
68029 and CH02 - Wembley LMD > 3U20 > 3H22 > 3E23 > Wembley LMD
68020 and CH05 (Reliveried Blue Set) - Eastleigh T&RSMD > 5Q69 > 5Q70 > 5Q71 > 5Q86 > Eastleigh T&RSMD
68022 and CH12 - Stourbridge Depot > 3N01> 3T04 > Stourbridge Depot

Passenger Mk3s
68009 and AL01 - Stourbridge Depot > 5J14 > 1H14 > 1R17 > 1H41 > 5E37 > Wembley LMD > 5O60 > 1J53 > 5J53 > Stourbridge Depot
68010 and AL04 - Stourbridge Depot > 5R17 > 1H17 > 1R21 > 1H45 > 1J49 > 5J49 > Stourbridge Depot

Current 68s (MK3s)
68008 - XHCS - DRS use.
68009 - XHCS - In Traffic
68010 - XHCE - In Traffic
68011 - XHCE - DRS use. At Crewe Gresty Bridge
68012 - XHCE - At Wembley LMD
68013 - XHCE - DRS use. At Crewe Gresty Bridge
68014 - XHCE - At Wembley LMD
68015 - XHCE - At Wembley LMD

Other 68s
68019 - Longsight Depot
68020 - In Traffic
68021 - Carlisle Kingmoor
68023 - Longsight Depot
68024 - Motherwell
68025 - Stoke
68026 - Leicester LIP - Europhoenix Assessment
68027 - Leicester LIP - Europhoenix Assessment
68028 - Banbury Depot
68029 - In Traffic
68030 - Banbury Depot
68031 - Wembley Loco Sidings
68032 - Banbury Depot

Thanks to some members private messages, I've been able to add all 68s currently or proposed to be used by Chiltern Railways, many thanks!

 

[43 302]

Add 68019 which is on hire to TPT, and remove 68033 & 68034 which are owned outright by DRS and nothing to do with Chiltern.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Add 68019 which is on hire to TPT, and remove 68033 & 68034 which are owned outright by DRS and nothing to do with Chiltern.

Thanks @43 302

 

[tfw756rider]

Due to a communication difficulty, I haven't yet read recent messages in here, but I'd like to apologise for anything I said that came across the wrong way.

Anyway, I did have a skim to check if this exact video (not mine) has been shared in here and I don't think it has until now:

 

[Goldfish62]

Due to a communication difficulty, I haven't yet read recent messages in here, but I'd like to apologise for anything I said that came across the wrong way.

Anyway, I did have a skim to check if this exact video (not mine) has been shared in here and I don't think it has until now:

Very smart.

 

[amazon1675]

68031 taken by 37884 from Eastleigh Works to Wembley 0H72 25 September.

 

[fgwrich]

What's caught my eye more than anything else is that the company logo is so strangely low down on the DBSO carriage compared to all of the others.

There’s something odd about the way the DT has been done, it doesn’t match on either side!

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Due to a communication difficulty, I haven't yet read recent messages in here, but I'd like to apologise for anything I said that came across the wrong way.

Anyway, I did have a skim to check if this exact video (not mine) has been shared in here and I don't think it has until now:

What a great video. I like the music. The 68 does look good in the blue colour scheme.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2025 ==

68020 CH05 at Banbury yesterday (25/5/25) 5Q71 Didcot Parkway to Leamington Spa. Best I could do considering it was going through at speed.

 

[RichJF]

IMO that's one of the sharpest liveries in recent times on the UK network

 

[class387]

Are those seat numbers on the doors? Does that mean Chiltern will be introducing seat reservations?

 

[XCTurbostar]

IMO, a yellow front end out look much more inviting (are risk assessments still required due to UWCs on this route?) and I dont think all the 'C's everywhere looks very tidy - I would be suprised if anyone recognises that 'C' as Chiltern Railways in the same way GWR, Avanti and TPE are.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are those seat numbers on the doors? Does that mean Chiltern will be introducing seat reservations?

I would be very surprised if they did. It's just a fairly standard thing to have and doesn't really cost anything to have it printed on the vinyls.

I did note the other day that 730s don't have numbered seats, though, which surprised me as the 350s all do.

 

[gg1]

It reminds me of the Night Star livery ; in blue not green of course

The 3 tone blue reminds me of this Midline livery from the late 80s.

 

[Peter Sarf]

There’s something odd about the way the DT has been done, it doesn’t match on either side!

On one side of all these Mk5 coaches there is a trio of ventilation grilles. On the trailer coaches the "Chiltern railways" branding is just above that and above where the grilles would be on the other side of them. Whereas on the Driving Trailer the "Chiltern railways" branding is off set along the coach away from the cab so can go lower. The trio of ventilation grilles on the one side of the driving trailer are somewhat hidden by the light grey.

So I wonder if the trailer coaches got the "Chiltern railways" branding higher up because the grilles are in the way on one side and the driving trailer coach got left behind with the original plan !. It is just grating that the vertical position is not consistent.

Otherwise a rather pleasing livery.

For those missing the yellow ends, yes I was brought up on yellow front ends BUT plenty of older folk will remember liveries that were not dominated by a yellow front.

The 3 tone blue reminds me of this Midline livery from the late 80s.

I just knew that left over paint in Birmingham from the 80s would come in handy one day .

 

[tfw756rider]

What a great video. I like the music. The 68 does look good in the blue colour scheme.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2025 ==

68020 CH05 at Banbury yesterday (25/5/25) 5Q71 Didcot Parkway to Leamington Spa. Best I could do considering it was going through at speed.

Thanks for sharing Jacob

 

[fgwrich]

On one side of all these Mk5 coaches there is a trio of ventilation grilles. On the trailer coaches the "Chiltern railways" branding is just above that and above where the grilles would be on the other side of them. Whereas on the Driving Trailer the "Chiltern railways" branding is off set along the coach away from the cab so can go lower. The trio of ventilation grilles on the one side of the driving trailer are somewhat hidden by the light grey.

So I wonder if the trailer coaches got the "Chiltern railways" branding higher up because the grilles are in the way on one side and the driving trailer coach got left behind with the original plan !. It is just grating that the vertical position is not consistent.

Otherwise a rather pleasing livery.

For those missing the yellow ends, yes I was brought up on yellow front ends BUT plenty of older folk will remember liveries that were not dominated by a yellow front.

I just knew that left over paint in Birmingham from the 80s would come in handy one day .

It’s not the vent grills and location of the Chiltern branding I’m referring to though. It is possibly a casualty of the way it is designed, but the light blue area on the right hand cab side is significantly smaller than the left hand cab side. I would try and screenshot it but it’s too big to upload apparently.

- In fact, I think I’ve just worked it out. There’s two Swirls on all of the coaches except one side of the DT, where it seems to have been pushed along a little. But isn’t repeated on the other side. Further edit, it’s the same as the loco.

I’m indifferent about it. It’s not too bad, but it’s a bit of a dark and busy livery. It reminds me a little of when TPE went from Dynamic Lines on the 185 to the big exaggerated DYNAMIC LINES on the 350s.

 

[jamieh27]

What a great video. I like the music. The 68 does look good in the blue colour scheme.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2025 ==

68020 CH05 at Banbury yesterday (25/5/25) 5Q71 Didcot Parkway to Leamington Spa. Best I could do considering it was going through at speed.

I do like the new Chiltern Railways livery with the C logo on the side and front loco. Looks like 68020 has got HGVO+ fuel in too.

 

[Peter Sarf]

It’s not the vent grills and location of the Chiltern branding I’m referring to though. It is possibly a casualty of the way it is designed, but the light blue area on the right hand cab side is significantly smaller than the left hand cab side. I would try and screenshot it but it’s too big to upload apparently.

- In fact, I think I’ve just worked it out. There’s two Swirls on all of the coaches except one side of the DT, where it seems to have been pushed along a little. But isn’t repeated on the other side. Further edit, it’s the same as the loco.

I’m indifferent about it. It’s not too bad, but it’s a bit of a dark and busy livery. It reminds me a little of when TPE went from Dynamic Lines on the 185 to the big exaggerated DYNAMIC LINES on the 350s.

Indeed. I notice that the trailers have a pair of light + medium blue patches/swirl - one towards each end on both sides. The driving trailer only has one patch/swirl on each side - on the side with no grilles it is towards the cab and runs into it, whereas on the side with the grilles it is nearer the centre. All very asymmetric !.

 

[Mogz]

Slightly OT, but if you told me back
in the year 2000 that there would be ANY diesel-hauled passenger trains in the UK in 2025 (let alone new ones) I wouldn’t have believed it…

 

[Pete_uk]

I thought the pink Wessex 31s and Mk2s would be the last of the loco hauled trains.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

On one side of all these Mk5 coaches there is a trio of ventilation grilles. On the trailer coaches the "Chiltern railways" branding is just above that and above where the grilles would be on the other side of them. Whereas on the Driving Trailer the "Chiltern railways" branding is off set along the coach away from the cab so can go lower. The trio of ventilation grilles on the one side of the driving trailer are somewhat hidden by the light grey.

So I wonder if the trailer coaches got the "Chiltern railways" branding higher up because the grilles are in the way on one side and the driving trailer coach got left behind with the original plan !. It is just grating that the vertical position is not consistent.

Otherwise a rather pleasing livery.

For those missing the yellow ends, yes I was brought up on yellow front ends BUT plenty of older folk will remember liveries that were not dominated by a yellow front.

I just knew that left over paint in Birmingham from the 80s would come in handy one day .

Because modern trains have led lighting these days yellow fronts aren't a requirement anymore hence why we are seeing less of it now.

 

[jamieh27]

Because modern trains have led lighting these days yellow fronts aren't a requirement anymore hence why we are seeing less of it now.

Also reduced energy use.

 

[plunet]

Are those seat numbers on the doors? Does that mean Chiltern will be introducing seat reservations?

Someone asked about seat reservations for the new trains on the socials a few weeks back and the CR response was that "no decision has been taken regarding seat reservations yet"