THE first of West Midlands Trains’ Class 730 Aventra electric multiple units entered revenue-earning service on November 13, when one of the sets of diagrams previously worked by Class 319s went over to ‘730’ operation.
The diagram on the first day, which began with the 2B02 06.04 Bletchley-Euston, was operated by Nos. 730007/010, while on November 14 and the next three days, Nos. 730006/011 covered the workings.
A second diagram was introduced on November 20 (see table), and this was operated by Nos. 730016/021 on the first day. Entering traffic later in the week (November 23) was No. 730018. The last services diagrammed for London Northwestern Railway ‘319’ operation were due to be worked by Class 730s from November 27.
The use of three-car Class 730/0 fleet on LNWR workings into and out of Euston is only temporary; in due course they will be deployed on services in the West Midlands, such as the Cross City line and the Wolverhampton to Walsall route. The latter line is expected to see its first ‘730’ workings early in the new year, possibly at the end of January. Once the five-car Class 730/2 units enter service in 2024, use of ‘730/0’ sets in Euston workings will on October 26.
