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Chiltern MK5s Starting 2026 (non speculative updates thread)

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172007

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Jacob Porrett said:
Chiltern want to use first class on the Mk5s.
Click to expand...

I have the impression that Chiltern don't want first class but has been forced upon them by the Treasury / DFT.

The evidence is the Green Signals podcast with Chilters CEO said it was difficult to get the MK5's deal over the winning line financialy. I think they hood winked the powers that be into thinking the first class as a goose which lays golden eggs.

My suspician is that 1st class will either get dropped in 18 months time or a way worked out to increase the seating to 2x2 airline seating (no tables) in those vehicles and possibly the galley going too.

Depends how many people stump up £20 vs how often the first class with a conviently lax policy gets downgraded to standard due to over crowding.
 
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MrJeeves

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172007 said:
I have the impression that Chiltern don't want first class but has been forced upon them by the Treasury / DFT.

The evidence is the Green Signals podcast with Chilters CEO said it was difficult to get the MK5's deal over the winning line financialy. I think they hood winked the powers that be into thinking the first class as a goose which lays golden eggs.
Click to expand...
My understanding isn't that Chiltern didn't want 1st class.

Ultimately they needed new stock, and the only way this would happen after the 175s went to GWR was the Mk5a's. The only way that the business case made financial sense was by retaining the TPE 1st and offsetting the higher leasing costs of those with revenue from 1st. If this wasn't done, Chiltern would instead be in a rolling stock and hence also a capacity crisis.

Given that the case for the units was already on a knife edge, the added revenue from 1st pushed it over the line. There was certainly no money at all to push the boat out and consider refitting an interior to convert the coach to standard class as well.

While this is a non-speculative discussion and I cannot guarantee it, I do not expect 1st to disappear on these units. In fact, I expect them to double-down and add further service enhancements to improve the offering. The last credible rumour I heard was investigating offering basic catering to passengers in 1st like they used to in the Business Zone. Other suggestions had also included seat reservations for passengers in 1st only. But further discussion about these (and other enhancements) is better-suited to a speculative thread.
 
class387

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So is the 1H10/1P51 Princes Risborough extra the only remaining Mk3 diagram? When will that continue to?
 
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CR165022

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When did AL02 move to Stourbridge? Because it was in Wembley yesterday still.

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class387 said:
So is the 1H10/1P51 Princes Risborough extra the only remaining Mk3 diagram? When will that continue to?
Click to expand...
1H12 is also a MK3, there's two PRR in the morning and only 1P51 in the evening.
 
37052 xb mr

37052 xb mr

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class387 said:
So is the 1H10/1P51 Princes Risborough extra the only remaining Mk3 diagram? When will that continue to?
Click to expand...
The PRR diagrams are expected to be Mk3 till March 22nd

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The Wembley to Stourbridge path appears to have been deleted
But 68014 is definitely at Stourbridge
With a set, it takes the set to Burton
Then light engine to Crewe.
 
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CyrusWuff

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sammyg901 said:
Presumably they are from this week?

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Sorry - I thought this weekend was the last Mk3 operated service completely! Apologies. Though the 1H12 today is 2x165 vs Mk3
Click to expand...
1H10 0721 Princes Risborough to Marylebone and 1H12 0746 Princes Risborough to Marylebone are only booked to be Mk3s on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the December 2025 base diagrams.
 
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37052 xb mr

37052 xb mr

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sammyg901 said:
Presumably they are from this week?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


Sorry - I thought this weekend was the last Mk3 operated service completely! Apologies. Though the 1H12 today is 2x165 vs Mk3
Click to expand...
This weekend was only the last Mk3’s
To & from Stourbridge & Birmingham.
There still down to operate
The Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Princess Risborough diagrams till
Approximately 22nd of March.
 
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sammyg901

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37052 xb mr said:
This weekend was only the last Mk3’s
To & from Stourbridge & Birmingham.
There still down to operate
The Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Princess Risborough diagrams till
Approximately 22nd of March.
Click to expand...

CyrusWuff said:
1H10 0721 Princes Risborough to Marylebone and 1H12 0746 Princes Risborough to Marylebone are only booked to be Mk3s on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the December 2025 base diagrams.
Click to expand...

Got it! Thanks all for clearing up my confusion :D I did do a final Mk3 ride a couple of weeks ago but maybe I'll do a "final final" go on 1H10 this week then as that does connect OK from an Aylesbury shuttle
 
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MerlinRail 804 said:
Does anyone know why the allocations for the Mk5 services sometimes never seem to exist?
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I understand there is an issue somewhere in an upstream system which means Chiltern are allocating the Mk5a sets to the services, but they don't make their way downstream to the open data feed used by websites.
 
tfw756rider

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CR165022

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68014 on 0O93 Crewe to Eastleigh today.

Is that preparing for a stock move ?.

Realtime Trains | 0O93 0811 Crewe Gresty Bridge (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd | 04/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 0O93 0811 departure from Crewe Gresty Bridge (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd on 04/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk www.realtimetrains.co.uk


And to check -
Where is 12802 now, still in CH06 ?.
It 68026 still paired with CH06 ?.
 
Johnhayworth21

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Peter Sarf said:
68014 on 0O93 Crewe to Eastleigh today.

Is that preparing for a stock move ?.

Realtime Trains | 0O93 0811 Crewe Gresty Bridge (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd | 04/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 0O93 0811 departure from Crewe Gresty Bridge (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd on 04/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk www.realtimetrains.co.uk


And to check -
Where is 12802 now, still in CH06 ?.
It 68026 still paired with CH06 ?.
Click to expand...
Could be for a repaint ?
 
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Peter Sarf

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87015 said:
If they rip the silver half off, it'll be white and dark blue? Off topic for Chiltern Mk5 though.
Click to expand...
Now getting info (nothing official afaikt) 68014 is to be a Chiltern standby loco !.

So does that mean it would be unmodified for Mk3 DVT compatibility ?.
(I assume this was originally one of the 68s used on Mk3 sets)
 
37052 xb mr

37052 xb mr

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Yes repaint
But to do with Chiltern ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Peter Sarf said:
Now getting info (nothing official afaikt) 68014 is to be a Chiltern standby loco !.

So does that mean it would be unmodified for Mk3 DVT compatibility ?.
(I assume this was originally one of the 68s used on Mk3 sets)
Click to expand...
Won’t be Mk4 compatible ?
It’s was one of the original
Chiltern ones with the Mk3s
 
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