"Chiltern Railways has shown off the first of its refurbished Mark 5A trains, which will be introduced between London and the West Midlands from early 2026. The fleet of 13 refurbished trains will replace Chiltern's oldest carriages, which are nearly 50 years old, and once the whole fleet is replaced, they will be able to increase train services by some 10,000 seats per day from next December."
"The trains will feature plug sockets and USB ports at every seat, along with digital customer information screens. Customers will also benefit from air conditioning and improved luggage and bike storage. The trains also deliver improvements for customers with accessibility needs, with dedicated areas including fully accessible toilets and better boarding and seating arrangements. Chiltern is also reintroducing First Class seating in the new trains for the first time since it discontinued that in 2002."
Chiltern Railways will introduce 13 refurbished Mark 5A trains between London and the West Midlands from early 2026. The trains will replace nearly 50-year-old carriages and are expected to add about 10,000 seats per day once the full fleet is in service from next December. The Mark 5As were introduced on TransPennine Express in 2019 and are leased from Beacon Rail; refurbishment work began following the lease. Trains include plug sockets and USB ports at every seat, digital information screens, air conditioning, improved luggage and bike storage, dedicated accessible areas and fully accessible toilets. First Class seating will be reintroduced to boost revenue, and existing Class 168 and 165 units will be redeployed and lengthened on other routes. Chiltern is advancing a joint business case with Network Rail for battery-electric trains to replace remaining diesel units.
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