With Bedford hosting its biennial River Festival in several days' time, Marston Vale Line passengers will have a rare opportunity to use their local trains on a Sunday.
Screenshot from RTT attached.
Screenshot from RTT attached.
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[Cancelled] LNR Sunday specials on the Marston Vale Line (19 July 2026)
- Thread starter Edvid
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pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Looks like it's going to be just the one train out, short turnarounds at both ends.
There doesn't look to be any long turnarounds for a break so I assume crew will rotate off the mainline onto it.
There doesn't look to be any long turnarounds for a break so I assume crew will rotate off the mainline onto it.
08221
Member
I remember when BR ran a Sunday service on the branch in the 80s for the Bedford river festival and used the green Cravens 105 borrowed from Stratford - it ran specials on the Luton to Dunstable branch a few weeks later.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I bet it is cancelled!
I think it already is, doesn’t show on Railboard and the river festival website says LNR confirmed no Sunday service this year.
That’s me not going to the River festival Sunday as I’m not going to drive.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
That is a shame. I was going to use the train the get there
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
There are multiple bus services between Milton Keynes and Bedford if that's the journey you're making?
Unfortunately I’m in Stewartby with no Sunday bus, so would need to drive.
Seems that the Bedford Park and ride is running this Sunday with four busses (rather than one!) an hour which may also be useful.
That’s a one off too as Grant Palmer don’t usually run Sundays.
Silver Cobra
Member
Seems the bus companies are all 'stepping up their game' for the River Festival this weekend. Along with the enhanced P&R service from Grant Palmer, Stagecoach are running an enhanced 9D service for the weekend, with three extra journeys from Bedford to Stevenage this evening (these run 'empty to depot' back to Bedford), and an hourly service for most of the day tomorrow (coincidentally meaning places like Shefford and Henlow Camp get their best ever Sunday service).
This makes the decision by LNWR all the more surprising. Unless it's just the fact they couldn't source the staff needed to run the Marston Vale service tomorrow.
This makes the decision by LNWR all the more surprising. Unless it's just the fact they couldn't source the staff needed to run the Marston Vale service tomorrow.