87015
Established Member
Yes, thats booked (from upthread) in the current Mk5 diagrams
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Chiltern MK5s Starting 2026 (non speculative updates thread)
- Thread starter Bletchleyite
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Is there any particular reason why 2H16 is a Mk5 vs 1H12 which used to be Mk3 and is now a 2x2 car units?
1H10 PRR-MYB was cancelled as the inbound 5P05 ECS terminated at West Ruislip with brake issues (per RTT). This would be a Mk5 usually. Then 1H22 terminated as well - so doesn't look like a good day for the Mk5s!
1H12 has heavier loadings than 2H16. Seated capacity for 2x two-car 165s is 342 passengers, whereas for a Mk5A set it's 291.
MerlinRail 804
Member
Oh completely missed that somehow!
Makes sense then. Is going to be interesting how they put together a future timetable to roll out extra Mk5 services without them being overcrowded
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I think the general idea is to use Mk5s on all Birmingham diagrams that would be 4-car DMU or shorter, and to run DMUs on any requiring a longer train, which is sort of the opposite of how it was before when the Mk3s had more capacity.
JMW146
Member
I presume you mean H25 instead of H22?
Bristol Rover
Member
- Joined
- 25 Oct 2009
- Messages
- 82
Had my first experience of the 5A earlier at Marylebone. Can't say I was impressed. Kicked off with the usual Chiltern special of announcing the platform less than 5 minutes before departure time.
The seats were hard, upright and half the tables don't seem properly aligned with the windows - who designs these things? I wouldn't fancy a journey from London to Birmingham on one of these.
The 168s are lovely trains with comfortable seats and properly aligned tables - I'll be looking out for these next time I need to travel to London. Used to just have to try and avoid the 165s, now there's two!
I love the 'blurb' on the Chiltern website about the new trains. Toilets, luggage racks and seat back tables listed as 'amazing features'. Some people are easily amazed! Give me a comfortable seat and a window view over a USB socket, an LCD screen and an extra bog anyday.
The seats were hard, upright and half the tables don't seem properly aligned with the windows - who designs these things? I wouldn't fancy a journey from London to Birmingham on one of these.
The 168s are lovely trains with comfortable seats and properly aligned tables - I'll be looking out for these next time I need to travel to London. Used to just have to try and avoid the 165s, now there's two!
I love the 'blurb' on the Chiltern website about the new trains. Toilets, luggage racks and seat back tables listed as 'amazing features'. Some people are easily amazed! Give me a comfortable seat and a window view over a USB socket, an LCD screen and an extra bog anyday.
MerlinRail 804
Member
Looks like Chiltern are making a bit more use of their Mk5s today with the Wembley event.
The 0807, 1102, 1202, 1607, 1637, 1707, 1837 are all Mk5s today (1837 isn’t showing an allocation yet in RTT but I’m assuming it’ll still be a mk5)
The 0807, 1102, 1202, 1607, 1637, 1707, 1837 are all Mk5s today (1837 isn’t showing an allocation yet in RTT but I’m assuming it’ll still be a mk5)
CR165022
Established Member
1J55 is now showing as CH03. No loco but I believe it's 68024 on that one. Believe it's the first time CH03 has been in service too.
XCTurbostar
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 2,469
Should be 68024
JMW146
Member
Realtime Trains | 1H77 1915 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone | 27/03/2026
Real-time train running information for 1H77 1915 departure from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone on 27/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
68027 & CH04 allocated to 1H77 1915 BMO - MYB, which stops at Lapworth, Hatton and Kings Sutton!
MerlinRail 804
Member
If it stops at Kings Sutton then I don’t really see any reason why they can’t/won’t reinstate the Kings Sutton call on 1H08. Loadings are probably the only thing, but I can’t imagine it being that muchRealtime Trains | 1H77 1915 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone | 27/03/2026
Real-time train running information for 1H77 1915 departure from Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone on 27/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
68027 & CH04 allocated to 1H77 1915 BMO - MYB, which stops at Lapworth, Hatton and Kings Sutton!
I don't believe there is enough time to call 1H08 at Kings Sutton.
It would impact on the timings south of Bicester / Haddenham. 1Y10 is just about as tight as you'd want it to be whoch then does the calls at Haddenham and Risborough etc. It would knock the whole flight out.
1H08 is already a few minutes later than previous (as units) for the additional dwell times required.
I also don't believe it could be run earlier to accommodate, either, as it'll be pinned down at certain key locations.
MerlinRail 804
Member
Ah yes that’s probably it.
Have to remember it was taken out to accommodate a Mk3 operating it, not planned for the Mk5.
I suspect updating it mid-timetable would also be a right royal pain in the perverbial.
Have not looked to see what May TT change looks like, but I suspect it would be a near carbon copy.
I suspect updating it mid-timetable would also be a right royal pain in the perverbial.
Have not looked to see what May TT change looks like, but I suspect it would be a near carbon copy.
MerlinRail 804
Member
Yes it does look pretty much exactly the same as current. Nothing noticeable I don’t think
CR165022
Established Member
68028 making its debut into service today, not sure which set though, only the loco is allocated.
XCTurbostar
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 2,469
CH07 is with 68028 still with yellow fronts
Last edited:
CR165022
Established Member
68029 also back in service today, it's been in service before but is presumably with another new set behind it today as again it's only the loco allocated again.
XCTurbostar
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 2,469
CH02 is with 68029
37052 xb mr
Established Member
Same set as 2 weeks ago
FrontSideBus
On Moderation
- Joined
- 11 Feb 2025
- Messages
- 451
I think the ideal formation would be 6 standard + 1 first to replace the 6 + DVT but apparently they can't easily do that.
MerlinRail 804
Member
That would lead to less overall sets which is not really ideal either. In an ultra ideal/ambitious world I’d be ordering some extra Mk5s new from CAF to go behind the original pool of 68s (I know this needs a bit of modification) as a supplement to the ex-TPE ones. Then also a few more to extend the original sets to 6 or 7 carriages as you said. These can be used for additional peak extras, service extensions to Worcester or perhaps a new Oxford - Moor Street service which could be an idea.
On days like this weekend when Chiltern need to run extra Birmingham trains, extended Mk5s could really come in handy. Only problem with them being extended is that they wouldn’t fit in the bays at Oxford (which they can as 5 car sets). Obviously not a major problem but could be one in the future because it can have operational uses.
LondonerTravel
Member
does anyone know if they’ll be running over Easter? I’d like to try one for myself.
37052 xb mr
Established Member
Looking at RTT for Friday there appears to be extra diagrams
Saturday & Sunday is only normally
1 set Working
Last edited:
It's frustrating all the talk of over crowding. Chiltern will have an extra 13 x 5 carriage trains on top of their current fleet less 3 x 6 carriage mk3 sets; quite the uplift in capacity.
Once the timetable ia re-jigged with longer trains and stopping patterns amended it will be worth it. Yes the occasional long distance peak train may be 7 or 8 car class 168 vice a Mk5 set but to be honest the class168 seats are way more comfortable.
I suspect 1st class experiment may well fail if people don't upgrade and may well go the way of the old Business Zone or end up being changes to 2x2 seating with the galley removed once the DaFTO bean counters look at their Excel spreadsheets properly.
Once the timetable ia re-jigged with longer trains and stopping patterns amended it will be worth it. Yes the occasional long distance peak train may be 7 or 8 car class 168 vice a Mk5 set but to be honest the class168 seats are way more comfortable.
I suspect 1st class experiment may well fail if people don't upgrade and may well go the way of the old Business Zone or end up being changes to 2x2 seating with the galley removed once the DaFTO bean counters look at their Excel spreadsheets properly.
Mikey C
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Feb 2013
- Messages
- 8,230
Had my first ride in a Mk5 yesterday, and while I've previously been in the CAF 331 and 397, the poor quality (and loudness) of the ride was still a shock, especially as unlike those trains which were running on lines I'm not familiar with, yesterday was on a line I use regularly, so I'm used to how the 165 and 168s cope.
satisnek
Member
Same here, just the last leg to Stourbridge Junction so no experience of high-speed running (and I felt a right prawn being the only person to remain on the platform for the Kidderminster train). And by the way, I for one am reluctant to call them Mk5s - they weren't built by BREL or its predecessors and have a completely different lineage.
Anyway, plus points:
Anyway, plus points:
- They're quieter as a result of having internal doors (why Chiltern Railways removed these from the Mk3s is anybody's guess).
- Er, that's it really.
- Ride quality of a road coach. Skateboard wheels are commonplace these days but are otherwise presumably weighed down by a diesel engine or electrical gear. BR got as close as possible to perfection with the BT10 bogie, and you'll notice that Sprinter/Turbostar/Desiro etc. bogies all follow a similar pattern. But somebody had to almost literally re-invent the wheel...
- Seats/tables don't line up with the windows. Neither did those in Mk3s - 50 years ago.
- Vent grilles in window ledges. Er, OK...
- Those seats! To be honest I found them more comfortable when slouching. They remind me of the high-backed seats in an Indian restaurant we went in years ago, where it was commented that they were designed to push you towards your food!
- And that sheer whiteness. I've been complaining that modern railway carriages have the ambience of an operating theatre for decades, but I've never seen anything as extreme as this!