Chiltern Railways DRS 68s and loco hauled mk3s, withdrawals and final sightings .

[warwickshire]

As the 31st March 2026, rapidly approaches us, I would like to Start a New thread on the Chiltern Railways Mk3s final days of services, to record, any sightings, and also to record any withdrawls from public service.

1. Sunday 25th January 2026 saw:

1344 Wembley Lmd to Burton West Yard, Which Saw Class , 68014, take the folllowing set.
Formed of ALO3, and vehicle numbers, 12620, 12623, 12617, 12608, 12615, 10274
Into storage.
Meaning the above mentioned set is now out of service and in Store at Burton, awaiting its next chapter in history.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

1. Sunday 25th January 2026 saw:

1344 Wembley Lmd to Burton West Yard, Which Saw Class , 68014, take the folllowing set.
Formed of ALO3, and vehicle numbers, 12620, 12623, 12617, 12608, 12615, 10274
Into storage.
Meaning the above mentioned set is now out of service and in Store at Burton, awaiting its next chapter in history.

Did this involve a DVT too?

 

[CR165022]

Did this involve a DVT too?

82305

 

[warwickshire]

Did this involve a DVT too?

Yes it did it was 82305,
However only 82301, 82304, 82309 are now operational.

82302, 82303 are at Wembley L.M.D for parts, useage only,

With 82303, not.being used for a very long time.

 

[CR165022]

Does anyone know what the current spare MK3 is? I believe it's currently sat with 82303. I know the spare used to be 12621 but last time I checked that was in one of the sets now?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Does anyone know what the current spare MK3 is? I believe it's currently sat with 82303. I know the spare used to be 12621 but last time I checked that was in one of the sets now?

There was one Mk 3 coupled to one of the stored Driving Van Trailers at Wembley when I went past on Wednesday, but I didn't look for the number on it... Presumably that is the spare, so anyone going past Wembley should be able to identify it.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Does anyone know what the current spare MK3 is? I believe it's currently sat with 82303. I know the spare used to be 12621 but last time I checked that was in one of the sets now?

12627 which suffered fire / smoke damage in 2024, parts of which were then used to bring 12621 back into traffic. Van 2 is also laid up OOU at the South end of Wembley.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just been past; visual confirmation it's 12627 with 82303.

 

[BanburyBlue]

Can someone remind me, how many mk3 sets are/were there?

 

[Liam L]

Anyone got a idea for the diagrams next week?

 

[CR165022]

Can someone remind me, how many mk3 sets are/were there?

4 with Plug Doors and then there was AL05 with Slam Doors. AL05 got disbanded years ago and the coaches are in various places now, maybe even scrapped.
The only Plug Door set stored currently is AL03, the others are still in service.

 

[BanburyBlue]

4 with Plug Doors and then there was AL05 with Slam Doors. AL05 got disbanded years ago and the coaches are in various places now, maybe even scrapped.
The only Plug Door set stored currently is AL03, the others are still in service.

Many thanks.

So was AL05 the ‘Banbury Set’?

Do we know when the other three sets are going?

 

[warwickshire]

Monday 23rd January 2026:
Saw 5D03 1210 Stourbridge jct to Burton West Yard.

82301, 10273 12613 12625 12616 12604 12605 set AL02 with 68014 on the rear as far as Dorridge, before,
68014 changed ends at Dorridge, and then lead this formation of vehicles,
taking AL02 and the above mentioned vehicles into store at Burton West Yard.

68014 has also returned to Crewe drs depot, as well, after taking this above mentioned AL02, set into.store at Burton West yard as well.

However more intersestingly 68011 has recently returned to Chiltern as a rescue locomotive as well etc.

 

[CR165022]

So does that mean 68014 is officially done on Chiltern now then?

 

[Liam L]

So does that mean 68014 is officially done on Chiltern now then?

More than likely.

 

[Phatcontroller]

We’re planning a trip to Birmingham this Saturday (28/2). Could anyone please advise if the new stock will be running on the mainline and on which diagrams if a mixture is in service? Thanks

 

[800002]

We’re planning a trip to Birmingham this Saturday (28/2). Could anyone please advise if the new stock will be running on the mainline and on which diagrams if a mixture is in service? Thanks

It's one diagram per day, consisting of 1 up train / 1 down train per day on Sat / Sun.

It'll be the trains to / from Stourbridge Jn
1H17, 0644 SBJ - MYB, Sat
1J59, 1932 MYB - SBJ, Sat.

1H35, 1035 SBJ - MYB, Sun
1J55, 1838 MYB - SBJ, Sun

 

[Phatcontroller]

It's one diagram per day, consisting of 1 up train / 1 down train per day on Sat / Sun.

It'll be the trains to / from Stourbridge Jn
1H17, 0644 SBJ - MYB, Sat
1J59, 1932 MYB - SBJ, Sat.

1H35, 1035 SBJ - MYB, Sun
1J55, 1838 MYB - SBJ, Sun

Many thanks

 

[MerlinRail 804]

A friend has told me the last Mk3 is Thurs 19th March on 1P51 1737 MYB - PRR. Is this correct?

 

[Phatcontroller]

Many thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Feb 2026 ==

Many thanks

Please can you advise what stock will be on the Chiltern mainline this weekend apart from the single mk5 round trip? Will it be mk3 or 168? Thanks

 

[CR165022]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Feb 2026 ==


Please can you advise what stock will be on the Chiltern mainline this weekend apart from the single mk5 round trip? Will it be mk3 or 168? Thanks

No MK3s, they're Tuesday-Thursday on the Marylebone/Princes Risborough Peak Extras only now. On the weekends it would all be 168s alongside the one MK5 diagram.

 

[800002]

No MK3s, they're Tuesday-Thursday on the Marylebone/Princes Risborough Peak Extras only now. On the weekends it would all be 168s alongside the one MK5 diagram.

And possibly / probably a 165 if you're lucky / unlucky (depending on your point of view).

 

[CR165022]

Set AL01 is also now stored at Burton, went on the 6th.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

So is that only one set left for service now?

 

[800002]

Believe AL04 is the sole remaining available Mk3 set with Chiltern.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

This evening's peak extra to Princes Risborough is actually a MK5 set, not a MK3 set -- it's 68020 with CH05.

Realtime Trains | 1P51 1737 London Marylebone to Princes Risborough | 10/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 1P51 1737 departure from London Marylebone to Princes Risborough on 10/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800002]

This evening's peak extra to Princes Risborough is actually a MK5 set, not a MK3 set -- it's 68020 with CH05.

Realtime Trains | 1P51 1737 London Marylebone to Princes Risborough | 10/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 1P51 1737 departure from London Marylebone to Princes Risborough on 10/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

There are no more Mk3 departures in passenger service from Marylebone planned

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There are no more Mk3 departures in passenger service from Marylebone planned

Oh so they’re all done now then?

 

[CR165022]

No, 1H12 is a MK3 until the 19th.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

No, 1H12 is a MK3 until the 19th.

So no more Mk3s on 1P51?