PLY2AYS
Member
The trains can move with a loco each end.
Getting passengers on and off, brakes potentially being isolated and having power to the units is another thing entirely…
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Chiltern MK5s Starting 2026 (non speculative updates thread)
- Thread starter Bletchleyite
- Start date
Getting passengers on and off, brakes potentially being isolated and having power to the units is another thing entirely…
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MerlinRail 804
Member
If the sets need to be lengthened, which they probably will at some point, could they order some extra brand new MK5s from CAF to do that?
PLY2AYS
Member
I hope they can and do… it would make things a lot more attractive for longer distance passengers.
How much money they throw at the problem though, is another issue entirely, because I’d imagine that would be the biggest limiting factor.
Given the generic press statement yesterday from GBR stating they’re going to do a renationalisation rolling stock upgrade and refresh, I would hope when Chiltern get taken back in house next year, that they are on that list.
Sadly though, SE, LNER, Northern and a couple of other TOCs seem to have a procurement process in place… which is what the DfT were getting at.
I think the 165s might be a more pressing issue for the DFTO.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
PLY2AYS
Member
One potential benefit of electrification is the prominence of bi and tri mode locos now… Stadler springs to mind, and this could potentially be an exciting prospect for the longevity of Mk5s on Chiltern as and when electrification does happen.
(That is deviating from the thread of course, as you alluded to)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Speculative thread on increasing capacity: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/chiltern-mk5s-starting-2026-options-for-more-capacity.295942/
Selective door opening is nowhere near as simple as it sounds ! Two sets together are probably not wired up for this and two sets with a loco in the middle are almost certainly a no-no.
MickeyN
Member
Chiltern Rail are organising a farewell event on 22nd February 2026 for its mark 3 carriages & locomotives.It starts at Banbury goes to Stourbridge then to Marylebone then back to Banbury & organised by the branch line society
CR165022
Established Member
A few of the reliviered sets have been going back there once done at Eastleigh, so presumably they're just shuffling those around.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
As far as I know 12802 has not yet been re-liveried and I wonder if it ever will be ?.
It looks like 12802 has found it's way back into a revinyled set from this video. Go to 2:40
warwickshire
On Moderation
There are 4 full sets their as well branded.
CH06 CH08, CH09, CH11,
It is probably one of them, as it appears to be a five car,
DT 12814, is branded but is part of, CH02, Currently operational on training runs,
DT12802 is still solo at Long Marston, unless it has moved by road to Eastleigh.
43096
On Moderation
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We can't tell if it is 12802 or another driving trailer that hasn't been vinyled yet.
CR165022
Established Member
There was one set that was being moved around with its livery unfinished, CH04 I believe
warwickshire
On Moderation
This set, returned to Eastleigh on.
04th December 2025.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
It looks like the unbranded 128xx is bufferd-up/coupled to another five cars. So it could be that 12802 is just sharing the same siding with a complete five car set that is re-liveried. If only I could tell if the re-liveried coach next to 12802 was the first class coach ?.
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warwickshire
On Moderation
Thank, you for this. This means DT 12802, is now part of for the time being either with Branded sets CH06, CH08, CH09, CH11,
Obviously to get the DT12802 to Eastleigh as a 5 car fixed formation,
Maybe DT12802, might become part of a fixed formation instead.
And one of the branded DTS vehicles,
12806, 12808, 12809, 12811,
Must now be solo/spare on its own at Long Marston. And might become a spare DT instead,
Or Chiltern might rotate the DT vehicles around in reqular service to rotate around and use as required,
Meanwhile Tuesday 23rd December 2025,
Saw 68031 and Set CH07, undergo, a third day of testing between Eastleigh and Leamington Spa, on test runs.
Hopefully Chiltern might have accepted this by now as a sixth set to enter service.
And or training staff runs.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Ah I see, thanks. So that fifth re-liveried vehicle at the other end of the rake is a 68 (not clear from the other video) furthermore the first class coach is right next to that 68 so a re-liveried Driving Trailer is definitely not there.
Fingers crossed CH06 (or ANOther ?) gets out more and soon before more rotation happens.
warwickshire
On Moderation
Class 68, is 68026,
68026, has been the soliitary, 68 doing all the moves between Eastleigh and Long Marston, all sets at Long Marston, will, go to and From Eastleigh for servicing and to keep warm, by. these moves, eventually sometime mid 2026, they should start testing on Chiltern, to get ready for December 2026, when needed.
However 68026, to start with back in early 2024, was a very reqular locomotive used for the moves between Longsight and Long Marston. When they took place,
However its now the same but to Eastleigh.
Also 68026 has been at Long Marston on the rail live events and other infrastrucure events but in Drs Livery.
So over this Christmas 2025, its very much at home, also known locally around North and South Warwickshire and Evesham, nicknamed as the Cotswolds wanderer.
Because it spends a lot of time around Long Marston and enjoys running a lot on the Cotswolds line on Stock and infrasrucure moves.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Tee hee, I wonder if TPE will let Chiltern call the Mk5s that !.
sjpowermac
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 May 2018
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Towards the end of service with them, even TPE stopped calling them ‘Nova 3’
PLY2AYS
Member
‘Nova’; famously Spanish for ‘no go’… hence the Vauxhall rebrand.Towards the end of service with them, even TPE stopped calling them ‘Nova 3’
Peter Sarf
Established Member
So I think we can assume the Chiltern Mk5 will never be called Nova 3 !.
PLY2AYS
Member
I’d like to think Chiltern learnt from mistakes of TPE with keeping the sets in hot rotation. At least they’ve started well with them… I’ve not heard any horror stories from any staff just yet about reliability.
Here’s hoping they are reliable!
Would be nice to have a name though, I don’t think that naming them are particularly gimmick-y in my eyes, but I understand why some do!
Peter Sarf
Established Member
TPE did rotate the Mk5s but I always wondered if it was regularly enough. I may be hoping but I think Chiltern will be better - probably because they are not (yet) trying to manage without the Mk5s. Of course NOT rotating the sets would guarantee those in use are more likely to be even more reliable at the expense of the ignored sets. This is in danger of heading for conjecture territory.
For the purposes of this thread we should stick to referring to them as "Chiltern Mk5s"
.(its in the thread title).
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sjpowermac
Established Member
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Agreed, TPE did regularly rotate the sets.TPE did rotate the Mk5s but I always wondered if it was regularly enough. I may be hoping but I think Chiltern will be better - probably because they are not (yet) trying to manage without the Mk5s. Of course NOT rotating the sets would guarantee those in use are more likely to be even more reliable at the expense of the ignored sets. This is in danger of heading for conjecture territory.
For the purposes of this thread we should stick to referring to them as "Chiltern Mk5s"
(its in the thread title).
Inaccurate thread title, unless Chiltern are introducing sleeper trains to their network, it should really be ‘Mk5A’