Trains
on
the
Marston
Vale
line


in
Buckinghamshire
and
Bedfordshire
which
were
withdrawn
when
their
supplier
Vivarail
went
into
administration
at
the
start
of
December
are
unlikely
to
be
replaced
before
the
autumn.

Operator
West
Midlands
Trains,
which
uses
the
brand
London
Northwestern
outside
the
West
Midlands,
said
the
Class
230
units
on
the
Marston
Vale
line
could
no
longer
be
used,
because
the
lack
of
Vivarail
staff
at
Bletchley
depot
would
make
maintenance
difficult.

The
Class
230s
are
diesel
units
converted
from
former
London
Underground
D78
stock,
which
was
originally
built
for
the
District
Line.

Since
they
were
withdrawn
buses
have
been
replacing
trains
on
the
Marston
Vale
route,
which
connects
Bletchley
and
Bedford
and
is
part
of
the
developing
East
West
Rail
link.

However,
finding
replacement
trains
is
proving
difficult,
according
to
the
operator.

London
Northwestern
said:
‘Due
to
the
unreliable
nature
of
the
Class
230
fleet
and
the
short
platforms
on
the
route
there
are
only
a
limited
number
of
trains
in
the
country
suitable,
which
has
hampered
progress.
We
expect
we
will
be
able
to
introduce
morning
and
evening
peak-time
train
services
from
autumn
2023,
leading
to
the
reinstatement
of
the
full
timetable
in
January
2024.’

Vivarail
conversions
are
continuing
to
run
on
the
Isle
of
Wight,
and
have
recently
entered
service
in
North
Wales.
GWR
has
also
taken
over
a
project
to
run
Vivarail
battery
trains
on
the
Greenford
branch
in
west
London.

Vivarail
was
set
up
by
the
late
Adrian
Shooter
in
2013,
and
had
been
modernising
the
aluminium-bodied
Underground
trains
to
provide
economical
rolling
stock
for
local
lines.

The
Vivarail
website
has
been
reduced
to
a
single
page
with
an
animated
second
hand.
There
is
a
simple
caption:
‘It
was
good
while
it
lasted.
Over
and
out…’