Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership (CRP) is among the many organisations celebrating the return of train services to the Marston Vale Line.

Monday 20 November saw operator London Northerwestern Railway (LNR) resume services along the line between Bedford and Bletchley, which has been served by rail replacement buses since December 2022.

Due to the very short platforms on the Marston Vale Line, only certain types of train can be used on the route. Working with partners in the rail industry, LNR has arranged the transfer of three Class 150 trains from elsewhere in the country so a service can be restored.

Stephen Sleight, Marston Vale CRP Officer, said: “I am really pleased that train services have resumed on the Marston Vale Line. This line is a lifeline for the communities along it and means an enormous amount to local people who rely on it for access to education, work, and leisure.

“I am sure passengers will be impressed by the refurbishment of the Class 150s and I look forward to the resumption of the full service in the New Year.”

Jonny Wiseman, LNR Customer Experience Director, said: “We are delighted that passenger trains are once again running on the Marston Vale Line. We recognise that due to logistical constraints, it has taken longer than we had hoped to bring back the train service and we thank our customers for their patience.

“While we will initially be running a partial timetable, we are working hard to train our drivers and senior conductors as quickly as possible with a view to resuming the full service in the New Year.”

Four services in each direction will initially run on the route on Monday-Fridays. The services will be focused on the morning and afternoon peak periods, with rail replacement buses continuing to operate at other times.

View the timetable here.

Keep up to date with future news, projects, and events from the Marston Vale CRP via their website.