A LONG-HELD belief is that the railways of the north have the oldest trains, while those in London and the South East have new fleets.
This message was particularly prevalent towards the end of the last decade when local mayors would continually highlight the use of Pacers on local services as a backbone for their calls for change on the railway.
In the middle of that was Richard Allan, then the deputy managing director of Northern who had to juggle the introduction of new trains (built by CAF), await electrification projects to be delivered (these, such as Blackpool North, were late) and contend with the constant calls for the franchise to be stripped.
You would think, therefore, that coming south to Chiltern Railways (CR) to become managing director would make it easy for him? After all, his new operation would have new trains and wires as it serves the capital. Well, no.
Currently CR operates the third oldest train fleet according to figures released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) last October, but of the top 10 operators with the oldest fleet, CR is one of only two without a new fleet either being delivered on order or planned and is the highest on that table with that dubious honour.
Furthermore, CR is the only operator to serve London which uses an all-diesel fleet. Not a great look in 2023 as the Government, and railway, tries to decarbonise. Yet there is the issue of electrification and alternative power to consider. Stringing overhead wires along the Chiltern Main Line would met Mr Allan, rail minister Huw Merriman suggested there was more to decarbonisation than electrification. Speaking exclusively to in London Marylebone on June 15, Mr Allan explained that if it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic the operator would likely have placed an order for new trains. Instead, that was pushed to one side and CR has continued to operate its mixed fleet of Class 165 and Class 168 diesel multiple units (DMUs) and small fleet of Class 68-hauled Mk.3 fleets.
