EWR/Chiltern Class 196 Build and Implementation

[CR165022]

A 196 in Chiltern colours at Hereford? Has anyone captured that?

Ironically not the first time something in Chiltern colours has ended up there on WMR!

 

[absolutelymilk]

Moreover, I’d expect to see these moving along EWR, or at least around Bletchley and Tyseley a lot more in the next couple of weeks.

Ooh, what's happening in the next couple of weeks?

 

[XCTurbostar]

196007 last ran 5H50 to Tyseley LMD (09/04/2026)
196008 last ran 5H50 to Tyseley LMD (09/04/2026)
196009 Tyseley TMD? De-branded
196010 Bletchley TMD?
196011 is in service on the Coventry-Leamington shuttles today with blanked out Chiltern Railways logos
196012 Oxford C.S.?

Looks like 196 swaps on the following on Tuesday:

Realtime Trains | 5H50 1450 Bletchley T.M.D. to Tyseley L.M.D. | 14/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 5H50 1450 departure from Bletchley T.M.D. to Tyseley L.M.D. on 14/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

and

Realtime Trains | 5B50 1955 Tyseley L.M.D. to Bletchley T.M.D. | 14/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 5B50 1955 departure from Tyseley L.M.D. to Bletchley T.M.D. on 14/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[40029 Saxonia]

196007 last ran 5H50 to Tyseley LMD (09/04/2026)
196008 last ran 5H50 to Tyseley LMD (09/04/2026)
196009 Tyseley TMD? De-branded
196010 Bletchley TMD?
196011 is in service on the Coventry-Leamington shuttles today with blanked out Chiltern Railways logos
196012 Oxford C.S.?

Looks like 196 swaps on the following on Tuesday:

Realtime Trains | 5H50 1450 Bletchley T.M.D. to Tyseley L.M.D. | 14/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 5H50 1450 departure from Bletchley T.M.D. to Tyseley L.M.D. on 14/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

and

Realtime Trains | 5B50 1955 Tyseley L.M.D. to Bletchley T.M.D. | 14/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 5B50 1955 departure from Tyseley L.M.D. to Bletchley T.M.D. on 14/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I went past Tyseley today by train and 196009 & 10 and a third in Chiltern livery are visible in the nearest siding to the main line

 

[DavidGrain]

I think 009,010 and 0[11 are Chiltern units currently with WMR. However, remember that the Chiltern units have to return to Tyseley periodically for such maintenance that cannot be done at Bletchley.

There has been some chatter that the service could be starting at last on the Oxford to MKC line which requires 4 units in service each day which means that units will have to return to Bletchley.

 

[800002]

There has been some chatter that the service could be starting at last on the Oxford to MKC line which requires 4 units in service each day which means that units will have to return to Bletchley.

This was always the plan.
Run OXF - MKC as the first part of operation.

The only debate has been, 'when'.


3 units at Bletchely, 2 units at Oxford each night.
The sixth on maintenence at Tyseley.

If think I should ask at this point in time, though:
What kind of chatter about the service starting?

 

[Wyrleybart]

There has been some chatter that the service could be starting at last on the Oxford to MKC line which requires 4 units in service each day which means that units will have to return to Bletchley.

Only a guess but I assume it is a trade union issue at the moment. AIUI Chiltern Trains have DOO as the default for their train operation, with "guards" on loco hauled stock and in the north of their operation.

So would this mean that ASLEF have agreed o DOOP operation on the services ?

 

[CyrusWuff]

The cynic in me suspects there will be an announcement regarding the start of passenger services at around the same time as Chiltern moves to DFTO in September.

That the issue is entirely of the DfT's making by giving it to Chiltern rather than WMT in the first place, seemingly with the expectation that there would be no issues with extending DOO from Bicester Village to Milton Keynes, is neither here nor there.

 

[Wyrleybart]

The cynic in me suspects there will be an announcement regarding the start of passenger services at around the same time as Chiltern moves to DFTO in September.

That the issue is entirely of the DfT's making by giving it to Chiltern rather than WMT in the first place, seemingly with the expectation that there would be no issues with extending DOO from Bicester Village to Milton Keynes, is neither here nor there.

I share your cynicism !! Simple fact is Chiltern Trains are predominately a DOO operator whereas I believe the 196s ordered for WMR had to be modified from DOO operation to "crew" operation for WMR, then modifed back to DOO to operate for Chiltern - even though the mod may be as simple as screwing a plastic cover over a key panel.

 

[D365]

… then modifed back to DOO to operate for Chiltern - even though the mod may be as simple as screwing a plastic cover over a key panel.

The saloon GOPs (guard operation panels) that were retrofitted on Class 196 units are accessed via T key, and the controls are energised via a separate key. Why would they need a plastic cover when they are already ’closed’ in normal operation?

 

[Kite159]

The saloon GOPs (guard operation panels) that were retrofitted on Class 196 units are accessed via T key, and the controls are energised via a separate key. Why would they need a plastic cover when they are already ’closed’ in normal operation?

Especially when other units have GOPs fitted which are never used (700s spring to mind)

 

[Mainsideman]

Only a guess but I assume it is a trade union issue at the moment. AIUI Chiltern Trains have DOO as the default for their train operation, with "guards" on loco hauled stock and in the north of their operation.

So would this mean that ASLEF have agreed o DOOP operation on the services ?

There was talk on twitter not to long ago that chiltern where going to offer a second person onboard, so hopefully that is the case.

 

[Sparks807Evo]

There was talk on twitter not to long ago that chiltern where going to offer a second person onboard, so hopefully that is the case.

Hopefully that's where things end up. Having a second person onboard a route where there is new custom, with barriers not installed universally, surely makes most sense from both a customer service and revenue protection perspective.

 

[JonathanH]

Having a second person onboard a route where there is new custom, with barriers not installed universally, surely makes most sense from both a customer service and revenue protection perspective.

Are the trains stopping at Islip? All the other stations on the route (Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Milton Keynes) have barriers.

 

[Zomboid]

Are the trains stopping at Islip? All the other stations on the route have barriers.

No, they aren't planned to

 

[Sparks807Evo]

Are the trains stopping at Islip? All the other stations on the route (Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow, Bletchley, Milton Keynes) have barriers.

Nope, not as far as I am aware. Sorry, I did not know Winslow had them. No guarantee though that they are staffed from first to last trains (e.g. Milton Keynes I have seen open at night before now).

 

[JonathanH]

Sorry, I did not know Winslow had them.

No problem. Neither did I until I looked at the relevant National Rail page - https://assets.nationalrail.co.uk/e...04f6485842ffcd8614cc7f9eafde4/WINSLOW_SME.pdf

No guarantee though that they are staffed from first to last trains (e.g. Milton Keynes I have seen open at night before now).

Indeed, but that is a different matter.

 

[Sparks807Evo]

No problem. Neither did I until I looked at the relevant National Rail page - https://assets.nationalrail.co.uk/e...04f6485842ffcd8614cc7f9eafde4/WINSLOW_SME.pdf


Indeed, but that is a different matter.

Thank you.

And yes, very true! At this rate, it'll be good to push on with making use of the infrastructure as soon as possible with whichever method of work, and make back some of the cost.

 

[Cowley]

This thread seems to be wondering all over the place at times. We’ve decided to put a temporary pause on things until there’s some actual activity to discuss.

Thanks