Chiltern Railways was the first of the UK's privatised railway companies to order new trains and bring them into service. Since privatisation, we have more than doubled the size of our original train fleet.
We operate 3 types of passenger train on our line - Class 165 (Turbo), Class 168 (Clubman) and Class 121 (Bubble Car) – all of which are diesel powered.
We have the flexibility to configure our carriages according to demand but usually operate:
28 x 2 car sets and 11 x 3 car sets of the Class 165
10 x 4 car sets and 9 x 3 car sets of the Class 168
1 x 1 car of the Class 121.
All seats on our services are standard class.
Class 165 "Turbo" train
The Class 165s are used mainly on the commuter and suburban services. These units mainly work the shorter distance routes between Banbury or Aylesbury and London.
Following a major consultation with passengers as to their needs from these trains, our Class 165 ‘Turbos’ went through a major refurbishment programme during the years 2003 - 2005. In addition to a refreshed appearance, included in this refurbishment programme was the installation of air conditioning, CCTV cameras, improved passenger information display screens and a disabled area for the use of wheelchairs.
Class 165 Stats
| Number in fleet | 39 trains (89 carriages) |
| Max. speed | 75mph |
| Seating numbers |
184 on each 2 car unit 276 on each 3 car unit |
| Constructed by | British Rail Engineering Limited, York |
| Years of construction | 1990 - 1992 |
| Seating layout | 2 + 2/3 + 2 facing / unidirectional |
Class 168 "Clubman" train
Our Clubman trains are specially designed for longer distance travel on our route between the West Midlands and London.
The whole fleet of Clubmans went through an extensive refurbishment programme throughout 2007/2008. This included the addition of power sockets at most seats for laptops and mobile phones, new carpets and seat covers following a revised interior colour scheme, new toilets, clearer interior signage, improved lighting, improved disabled seating area, designated mobile-free 'Quiet Zone' on every train and engine modifications to improve reliability even further. The refurbished trains offer greater comfort for passengers, in addition to better on-train facilities including improved catering on peak business services.
Class 168 Stats
| Number in fleet | 19 trains (67 carriages) |
| Max. speed | 100mph |
| Seating numbers | 204 on each 3 car unit 272 on each 4 car unit |
| Constructed by | Adtranz / Bombardier, Derby |
| Years of construction | 1997 - 2004 |
| Seating layout | 2 + 2 facing / unidirectional |
Class 121 "Bubble Car"
The Bubble Car is the oldest train in our fleet.
The Bubble Car has recently been refurbished to modern standards which includes a passenger information display screen and central door locking.
Our Class 121 train is used only on peak hour shuttle trains between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough. This allows a Class 165 to be released to work a peak hour commuter service to London.
Class 121 Stats
| Number in fleet | 1 train (1 carriage) |
| Max. speed | 70mph (however, the maximum line speed of the route this train runs on is only 40mph) |
| Seating numbers | 65 on a 1 car unit |
| Constructed by | Pressed Steel Suburban |
| Year of construction | 1960 |
| Seating layout | 3 + 2 facing |
Non-Passenger Trains
We also operate a number of non-passenger trains for driver route learning purposes and line maintenance during the Autumn leaf fall period. The most regularly sighted is our water-jetting unit. Operated from September to December each year, this train (known as the Green Goddess) literally blasts leaves and leaf mulch from the tracks. For more information about leaf fall and why it causes a problem, click here.
Driver Training and Safety Equipment/Features on our Trains
For information about driver training and the equipment and systems in place on our trains to ensure your safety please click here.
