Awesome review Dylan as always, You get a sense that the chiltern Mk3 seating were designed by someone who regularly travels on trains rather than someone who just assumes what their like to travel on.
That's a lovely run to Birmingham. Rarely if ever overcrowded, with clean comfortable trains. I always go from Marylebone to Moor St or Snow Hill when I visit Brum. Much nicer than Euston to new Street.
To be honest as a local to Chiltern their 168’s and 165’s are not that comfy and there suspension is horrific. They don’t really take care of their units enough so they had to buy some 68’s from DRS. Such a shame they never use their 68’s because they are really comfortable
I use Chiltern Railways a lot and have found them to be very punctual. That, with comfy and clean trains leads me to rate them as my favourite rail franchise, as has been for a number of years.
Long been my favourite UK rail service. I love the fact that Chiltern have, for the most part, retained many of the historical station features. Moor St and Marylebone stand out of course but Leamington Spa, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe all have a historical ambiance. The refurbished Mk3 stock is excellent. I particularly like the bay seating layout which contrasts markedly with other operators high density, pack 'em in arrangements. I am hoping that some of the shortened HST sets might revert to this layout. Might I also give a shout out to the Chiltern staff who I have always found not only courteous but helpful to a fault. I have had more than one occasion to be grateful to them for their aid when accompanying an elderly relative with mobility issues. I get the sense that team working and company reputation are valued. Two bug bears. Time was that all Brum - London services were planned to be Mk3 stock. I believe this went west due to unforeseen costs at refurbishment. With more stock being released and refurbished for other operators perhaps this plan could be revisited. The DMU stock whilst nippy is certainly not as comfortable and beginning to show its age. Secondly, whilst the Moor Street cafe is well above usual station fare, I miss the on-board bacon roll with a yearning! Of course now you have advertised the advance fare options we'll now be lucky if we can get a seat.......
@@Keithbarber I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I think the silver sets are brilliant, my 2nd choice when travelling London - Birmingham would be Pendolinos and my third choice Turbostars. Yeah, they're fine - just not one of my favourites. Never said they weren't a proper train.
Those Mk3s look really nice. I worked on the NW modernisation & then lived in Stafford for a few years. Used the old Chiltern whenever the Euston line failed & it was a good journey.
Hi Dylan!!! I absolutely love these reports, your style is great. Informative written context, no annoying running commentary just simple and to the point !!! Brilliant. Would love to see more videos reporting on the comfort of the rest of the National Rail trains , GWR, EMR, LNER, Cross Country...
I took Chiltern Railways about four years ago while visiting the UK. While I took Chiltern on the London to Oxford route, I was pleasantly surprised on the return to find the train being operated by the Mainline equipment, which was as good as your review states it is. Over the years during my UK holidays I have ridden on Chiltern, GWR, Southwestern, and Scotlrail, and found Chiltern to be the best.
Lovely stuff. They’ve done an amazing job on Moor Street station. The Chiltern route in general is really underrated, some great spots along it and the 68’s are beasts! Your videos continue to be excellent and have unrivalled detail Dylan. Top man 👍
The catering used to be very flexible. I remember them grilling trays of bacon before putting them into freshly sliced rolls. Another time they happily rustled up a couple of slices of toast with butter and marmalade. I doubt any operator would provide that in standard class now.
I love the Chiltern Silver trains - got to be some of the best standard class on the UK network. I live in the Midlands, so whenever I go to London I always travel using Chiltern and always try to get one of the Chiltern Silver trains.
Britain's BEST Train? Quite possibly. Thank you for a very informative and well-edited review. I remember using the route in the early 1960s, when the Paddington to Birkenhead expresses were still running, and what a beautiful station the old Snow Hill was - as well as Moor Street. One of the delights of Moor Street was the electric traversers at the end of the bay platforms, which allowed steam locomotives to move sideways onto the adjacent track, thus saving the space needed for crossovers and so forth. I never saw either of them in use; but I remember seeing them. In those closing years of the route's express status the stock and services from Paddington to Birmingham were good, but nowhere near as comfortable or as regular as the ones now on offer by Chiltern. However, I would agree with a number of commentators here in that it's well worth timing your journey, if you can, so that you get one of the Mark-3-plus-class-68 sets. They are more comfortable and spacious than the diesel multiple units - even though the Chiltern DMUs are among the very best of that kind in the country. My most recent journey was a single from Moor Street to Marylebone. With my senior railcard, the cost was £4.80. Good value, eh?
I'm with you, Dylan -- the 1930s redo at Birmingham is stunning. Love it. Never traveled on Chiltern before but it looks like a nice train. Thanks for the review!
Having retired, I rarely travel to London now but have always thought the Chiltern Line was a much nicer experience than the WCML. I well remember tha bacon rolls for Breakfast! One subtle advantage is there are rarely long-distance travellers with heavy suitcases bumping into you.
Having a bit of time between two National Express coach services at the nearby very modern Digbeth Coach Station, I took a walk to have a look at Birmingham Moor Street station, which has been returned to this very retro 1930s Great Western Railway look. I was impressed - it's really very nice. Advance fares to London on Chiltern are very good value, so when normal life resumes in the UK I may try this rail route. Hope the buffets reopen!
Brilliant video as always. You may have been blown away by the relative luxury found in these coaches, well that is due to them previously being owned by an open access operating country called “Wrexham and Shropshire” Railways. Operated a couple services a day in and out of Marylebone with the same seat but with 67 locomotives. Also, they served full meals in their First class (now business zone) with cutlery and plates and everything and had brilliant staff members all round. The goal for them was to create a luxury service for standard class as well to provide an all in all great experience. Another challenge for them was to create a buffet car over 2x smaller than what it actually was and it was to have a fully fitted kitchen and an espresso bar. Unfortunately they closed down due to monetary issues. I may have written an essay 😅 Anyways great video
@@malthuswasright Shareholding of Wrexham and Shropshire was sold to DB in 2008. After said transaction it was 50% DB Regio, 36% Renaissance trains and 14% John Laig. In either September or October of 2009, DB took full ownership so yes you are correct
Thanks, Dylan! I love it when you show the stations, it's beautiful! Indeed, at this price, it's not expensive at all! What a pity that such a magnificent train was empty.
Oh yes, Dylan, I was going to forget. I'm going to order new t-shirts from your store for the New Year. Indeed, the one I bought last year has already served well, I put it on almost systematically when I took the train this summer and in early autumn (so many times). I'm going to order two or three different or identical ones, I'll see newt week, I think. No one has noticed "Dylan Travel Reports" yet, it will come one day! Except someone who immediately saw a train enthusiast and was happy. And in a year, we'll recognize your fans like that!
Hello there, Birmingham Moor Street was gradually run down during the 1960s. The locomotive hauled Mark 3 carriages were built between 1975 - 1986. Apart from the batch of Mark 3 carriages for Irish Rail in 1988, none were built after 1986 for use within mainland England. Best wishes and take care. Kind regards, Peter Skuce. St Albans. Hertfordshire.
Chiltern are run owned by Deutsche Bahn - explains why the trains are up to (if not better is some cases) than German stock. On the other hand, Avanti is owned by First Group and FS - hence that steeper prices and poorer quality rolling stock.
@@keithparker2206 Avanti didn't introduce the rolling stock they are using. That was introduced by Virgin Trains, which was the Virgin group and Stagecoach. Not that I'm too happy about the stock Avanti is planning to introduce, though... although I cannot find whether or not it was their own choice. Arriva/Chiltern did introduce the Mk3 sets, though.
@@DJTrainBrain Am aware of that. I heard plans that they are going for Hitachi IEPs - not impressed at all! I was just sharing an opinion of the Avanti stock! Their service offering looks better on paper than that of Virgin, but my experience so far (I live in Wigan) is that it is worse. The best stock I have travelled on so far is that of OeBB's Railjet.
@@DJTrainBrain Cross Country share the route between. South of King's Sutton near Banbury and Leamington or South of Birmingham on their Reading to Newcastle and Bournemouth to Manchester routes
Thank you Dylan, great coverage of a less used line. I love Moor Street and that it was saved from demolition. You’re right, those sets are probably the best in the UK. Low fares too on a scenic route.
I often have to travel from the Midlands to London and I usually try to get on the Chiltern silver trains. Trick is to get a very cheap advance ticket then pay the Business Zone upgrade on the train, for the full mk3 1st class experience. I miss the bacon sandwich & coffee though, that's been penny pinched out.
If Chiltern really wanted to compete for Business Class travel along the London to Birmingham transport corridor, since they can't beat the Pendolinos on speed, they should follow the example set by the Midland Railway in the 1880's and focus on superior passenger comfort and outstanding customer service. In 2011 I travelled in First Class with Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway between London and Telford .... £60 for a First Class Return ticket which included a complimentary, two-course silver service meal in both directions. That's the kind of product which Chiltern could - and should - have offered between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Not to mention London Marylebone and Rugby Central, Leicester Central and Nottingham Victoria. Until 2014 my Gold Railcard allowed me to travel in Chiltern 's "Business Zone" for a £5 supplement. Now that really was a bargain!
Thanks to you Dylan I now know how to get to Birmingham when I visit the UK hopefully next year. The 2nd class seats looked 1st class. The train appeared clean and fully updated. The price for the one way ticket was just right. Chiltern is my train to Birmingham. Good informative video.
Chiltern Railways have always been excellent to me. Clean, reliable, value for money and a punctuality record to set your watch by. If you're lucky enough to get a 'Silver set' you feel like Royalty, the best Standard class rail travel experience in Britain surely. Always my 1st choice when travelling to London.
Nice solution to use push-pull rakes of refurbished Mk3 coaches. The refurbishment itself kept most of the original layout which made the Mk3s popular in the first place. No frills. No costs for stupid bells and whistles. As The Mandalorian would say: This is the way.
I used to use that line 30 -40 years ago - at least from Banbury to Marylebone. It was a slow old journey on DMU's and a lot of the line was single track. I don't know if all the line is now dual but back then I thought that through services B'ham to London would make a lot of sense. People talk about re-nationalisation and believe things were better in the 'old days' but those of us who remember and who had to suffer the bureaucracy, filth and restricted services of British Rail remember otherwise. I am sure that if it were not for the private operating companies such as Chiltern services like this one would never have existed.
That was when is was being run down prior to privatisation and wasn't always like that. The two hour Snow Hill-Paddington steam services of the 1950's were a joy to ride in.
I'm not denying that there have been a lot of improvements that have come in since privatisation (I'm not necessarily saying _because_ of privatisation, just that they have happened in the last 23 years) and that Chiltern have been one of the stand-out successes - but the through services between Marylebone and Snow Hill were reinstated in the early 1990s under Network SouthEast, when they introduced the Networkers, running every hour.
Thank you very much for this excellent video ! I agree with all that you say, and am fortunate in being able to use that service quite frequently. Chiltern were first to refurbish their Mark IIIs, and have done so to a much better standard than GWR or Scotrail for their shortened HSTs. Chiltern wisely retained the low backed seats, and the whole saloon feels much more spacious and uncluttered. The Mark IIIs, despite their age, ride far better than the CAF built MarkVs for TPE. As you say, all in all, these Chiltern "Mainline" express trains are probably the best trains presently running in the U.K !
I like the decor/refurbishment of the coaches. They did an excellent job! During this time of Covid and not many people traveling, second class is perfectly fine. However, during busy times, I’d gladly pay the surcharge for Business Club. Happy Holidays to you Dylan and to your family! ☃️🎄🎅🏻
Thanks, Dylan, for filling a gap in my experience of Britain's railways. I considered travelling on this route during my September/October 2018 visit but opted for a more scenic alternative to getting from Stourbridge to Torquay. I was put off by the appearance of the alleyway one has to negotiate between New Street and Moor Street and, given I was going to be towing luggage, didn't want to risk being mugged. Anyway, I did sample Chiltern's Class 168 Turbostar from Marylebone to Oxford via Bicester and was very impressed by the train and the service. Didn't quite blow my socks off but was impressive to say the least. While I note that these loco hauled sets were inherited from the London to Wrexham service, I have a feeling that the founder of Chiltern, one Adrian Shooter, had some influence in their acceptance and upgrade for this service. I'm glad you picked a "sunny English day" to travel on this service as it complemented the bright and comfortable feel of the interior of the train. Pity about the tap in the dunny not working! Even Aussie trains occasionally have this problem due to tight servicing turnarounds. I do hope you and your family are keeping safe during the current COVID crisis. You have probably heard that Sydney in Aussie is having some issues now. I'm glad that I live in Melbourne, even if we suffered a long lockdown, as we look able to enjoy the holiday season with relatively few restrictions. Have a Merry Christmas and I look forward to next week's offering while burping over my plum pudding.
I really enjoyed learning about this service. Thank you for that. Seeing loco-hauled, modernised Mark 3s, a MUCH lovelier station at Birmingham, and the Chiltern service which I've never been on - I like it.
Looks absolutely wonderful. Sadly not too busy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.
The coach you designated as business zone is the first class coach layout from Aberdeen to London. I don’t travel standard because I have bad knee joints and need the room to stretch.
Chiltern are stingy, penny-pinching so-and-so's. My suggestions that they provide Business Zone lounges at London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill fell upon very deaf ears. DMU trains, with noisy underfloor engines, are not suitable for long-distance, inter-city journeys. A Power Car and a DVT, or (even better) a Power Car at each end, is the way forward. Think Scotrail Inter7Cities short-formed, pocket-rocket HST's!
Good to see that you properly tested the plug sockets (shoved your fingers in them :p) also thameslink ironboards ftw, you can sit on an eternally delayed train WHILE ironing your clothes!
Used Chiltern since 1994, consistently good and steady improvements throughout that time. Marylebone modest size and clean too, my favourite London terminus.
the chiltern service is by far superior to the alternative via Intercity West Coast, the rolling stock is far superior, making for a more pleasant and affordable journey
Ah, when you were going past Wembley I was hoping you'd show the train powering past cars on the road next to the train tracks. My favourite bit of the journey. Always like using Chiltern for Birmingham trips
Lucky enough to live in leamington Spa so chiltern is my go to for London or Birmingham trips.. Never been more than a few minutes late, always clean, always got a seat, and not a bad price if you can get a ticket online before travel.. Really a good train service. :)
Train looks great, seats comfy looking and interior inviting. So only one seat in the set of four can be used - I knew there had to be SOMETHING positive about the current COVID lockdowns etc. For a 2nd class ticket you get a whole bank of seats to yourself. I think the information screens are a great idea. Myself I never look at any of the entertainment anyway. At 11:11 those are subway trains ? The price was amazing, so inexpensive. Push-pull trains with a cab car are operated in Canada on commuter runs around and into Toronto and even Montreal. Thanks for sharing Dylan; the loco is a monster !!
I agree, a 2nd class ticket is basically like 1st class atm with the seat next to you being blocked off. The trains at 11:11 are indeed subway trains (London Underground.)
Great video as always. Very nice trip though I find the DMUs very noisy and uncomfortable with the vibrations. Line needs electrifying but I suspect fierce opposition around the countryside halt that to happen. Thanks, Dylan, take care and stay safe.
Thanks for the useful information. It would never have occurred to me to use Moor Street Station, which I assumed was for local services only. It doesn't have the "Grand Central" shopping centre on top of it that New Street station has, but I suppose that must be closed during the lock down.
Not only does Chiltern have the Mk3 coaches on some of the Birmingham - London services, but Moor Street and Marylebone are much more pleasant than New Street and Euston!
@@Keithbarber Pendilinos and Voyagers are decent trains, and the service is quick. But New Street and Euston are such horrible depressing stations. New Street you need to pull out a map to figure out where you're going, and Euston is just... grim. Unfortunately the Moor Street of today will be "improved" (mhmm) when hs2 turns up
Chiltern Railways is indeed the perfect travel option between London & Birmingham. But it must be said that the onward connections are as good from Marylebone than they are from Euston (just the Bakerloo line).
i saw a few of these when I was waiting at Solihull station a few years back and thought they looked classy then. The Class 68's look fantastic and you have to love a train with proper locomotives
The seat backs still feature that bulge just above the hips so that one's backside gets pushed off the seat. The bulge should be in the small of the back. When I worked for BR I tried to get that sorted back in the 80s, but my words fell on deaf ears (surprise, surprise!)
Chiltern certainly pulled out all the stops when designing and building these sets. The class 68 locomotive also goes extremely well with the coaches, I completely agree in that this could well be one of the best train services in the UK.
Enjoyed your journey as always but a shame you didn't show more of Leamington Spa station as it is another example of what stations many used to be look like.
Great review Dylan - thanks! On a rare trip to (my native) UK, I'd the chance to ride that route on Chiltern... and thought GBP 32 walk-up single was a very fair fare! Alas, t'was a Sunday so no chance of loco propulsion/Mk 3s. Which still look great - though I'd miss the droplight windows... But as it turned out, Avanti had multiple staff shortages that morning so their WCML operations saw many delays/cancellations - so I'd backed the right horse. One comment about the Quiet Zone - to me, "quiet" means not being surrounded by conversations - so if the "white noise" of the traction equipment lulls ears instead, it may be the best place for that zone.
Hi Glad you found this option to London from Birmingham . Looking forward to your report on the HS2 to Curzon Street ( by which time your railcard will need to be an Over 60 one!!!! Thanks for a great Video and I have to say for me a refreshment counter would be good Have a safe Christmas
For some reason your channel popped up on my screen and as I watched and listened, as a foreigner, to your narrative I began to wonder if this Chiltern train is economically viable and their business plan sustainable. Anyway, I did enjoy your video. And oh yes, stay safe, strong and healthy in these dangerous times.
Chiltern have been going well for many years on this route. The ticket price here does seem incredibly cheap, but the best advance fares often are. Expect to pay much more if you walk up on the day.
The thing is on the chiltern Fleet they only get there tanks filled up once a day or once every 2 days. Because marlebone or Birmingham don't offer water filling services they can't be filled up therefore they have to be filled up at the depot. Its not ideal but chiltern have no other way of doing it
Agree entirely. Chiltern operate a very good service on that line. It makes me wonder what advantages HS2 is going to bring apart from increased capacity, as the speed element is not so relevant to many travellers especially if the comfort and convenience is there.
Am I looking at a preserved railway station or a mainline railways station? A National Rail station done out in traditional & original GWR colours, I am amazed - excellent!
The Chiltern Mk 3 coaches do look brilliant. Marshmallow soft. But, I remember being very impressed with the comfort seats on the class 458 Juniper on South Western Railway.
Totally agree . Moor Street is beautifully restored. Marylebone is also a good place to start/ end one's journey..Years ago The then Paddington( not ( Marylebone) to Birmingham GWR Service was advertised as the fastest route between the 2 cities. I'd rather comfort and scenery anyday .
Just shows how good the original mk3 as built was... Those are the original seats btw, reupholstered of course and minus the centre arm ash trays . No 'cram them in' ironing board or Ryanair style airline seats. Indeed in their original guise they would put many current 1st Class offerings to shame. Sidenote, the little silver ball shaped grab handles were originally a cube shape.
Nice review. On my first visit to England in the summer of 1980, I rode the local trains between Marylebone and High Wycombe a couple of times. Maybe only commuter trains served Marylebone at that time. I do remember passing Wembley Stadium!
The children route to Birmingham is so nice with great scenery ,wonder if electrification will come to this rote next and to think it was being rationalised not long ago now it’ looks like all the bits are going back to almost pre beaching times hope the wood head is next for reopening
The Midland Main Line from Leicester to Nottingham and Sheffield should get 25kV OLE way ahead of the Chiltern Railways secondary main line from London to Birmingham, which largely duplicates the electrified West Coast Main Line.
I rode from Moor St. to Marylebone back in 2018 on Chiltern. It was lovely. The Mk3s were a brilliant ride, comfortable, quiet. The service was punctual, early, even, despite being a peak service. Left me plenty of time to dick around in London for a bit instead of being in a panic to get to Heathrow for my outbound flight. Really, there's a lot to be said about the Mk3 and Mk4 coaching stock in use for intercity services. It's hard to beat them in comparison to every single other trainset in current use now. That same trip, I rode in a 90/Mk3 set up the GEML and that was lovely too.
I've never used Chiltern, as I live in Scotland but they look like really well thought out and designed seats. The definitely don't have a 2nd class feel to them.
Had no idea as it’s not a service I’ve ever needed to use but that is surprisingly great. Inexpensive, great train interior and not busy stations at either end for cities of their size - only thing that could be made reasonably better would be some sort of catering but I know that’s probably expecting too much on regional low cost trains. Hope I have a reason (& able to once the enemy that must not be named is vaccinated out of existence) to try it out soon.
Wow so you've been to Dundee where I am, you've been on a Train that daily serves Dundee and the Rainbow Enviro 400 at 0:10 has also came to Dundee. Amazing Work!
In the States we call the remote driver car a "cab car", or derisively the "death car", since there is not much crash protection in case of a collision with another train in push mode.
Awesome review Dylan as always, You get a sense that the chiltern Mk3 seating were designed by someone who regularly travels on trains rather than someone who just assumes what their like to travel on.
They kept the original British Rail layout
I agree! Great coaches!
@@DylansTravelReportsMK3 carriages are the best
That's a lovely run to Birmingham. Rarely if ever overcrowded, with clean comfortable trains. I always go from Marylebone to Moor St or Snow Hill when I visit Brum. Much nicer than Euston to new Street.
Euston is terrible indeed...too bad it's used for some flagship services
To be honest as a local to Chiltern their 168’s and 165’s are not that comfy and there suspension is horrific. They don’t really take care of their units enough so they had to buy some 68’s from DRS. Such a shame they never use their 68’s because they are really comfortable
It was very overcrowded yesterday when i went on one of these!
Euston - New Street is CrossCountry I believe? It’s too crowded on that train
@@noooo_safechat2589 euston is new street is avanti, cross country dont operate in london
I use Chiltern Railways a lot and have found them to be very punctual. That, with comfy and clean trains leads me to rate them as my favourite rail franchise, as has been for a number of years.
I prefer them for going to Oxford or Birmingham rather than the crappy GWR (Oxford) or Avanti/LNWR (Birmingham)
@@TheArkamedBat GWR does it much quicker to Oxford tho...
Good to see them using old refurbished BR coaches. Have they kept the old buffet/bar?
@@georgedowns4034 I'm not riding on a train with seats worse than the Desiro City. London to Reading is too much for me.
Long been my favourite UK rail service. I love the fact that Chiltern have, for the most part, retained many of the historical station features. Moor St and Marylebone stand out of course but Leamington Spa, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe all have a historical ambiance.
The refurbished Mk3 stock is excellent. I particularly like the bay seating layout which contrasts markedly with other operators high density, pack 'em in arrangements. I am hoping that some of the shortened HST sets might revert to this layout.
Might I also give a shout out to the Chiltern staff who I have always found not only courteous but helpful to a fault. I have had more than one occasion to be grateful to them for their aid when accompanying an elderly relative with mobility issues. I get the sense that team working and company reputation are valued.
Two bug bears. Time was that all Brum - London services were planned to be Mk3 stock. I believe this went west due to unforeseen costs at refurbishment. With more stock being released and refurbished for other operators perhaps this plan could be revisited. The DMU stock whilst nippy is certainly not as comfortable and beginning to show its age.
Secondly, whilst the Moor Street cafe is well above usual station fare, I miss the on-board bacon roll with a yearning!
Of course now you have advertised the advance fare options we'll now be lucky if we can get a seat.......
If only Chiltern had more of these ‘mainline silver sets’ and fewer Turbostar operated services. 😍
Travelling by turbostar is still travelling on a PROPER DECENT train, get real
@@Keithbarber I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I think the silver sets are brilliant, my 2nd choice when travelling London - Birmingham would be Pendolinos and my third choice Turbostars. Yeah, they're fine - just not one of my favourites. Never said they weren't a proper train.
@@FromtheWindowSeat maybe it's how I interpreted your message
Agreed
Turbostars are nice tho, there arnt anymore in London apary from these
Those Mk3s look really nice. I worked on the NW modernisation & then lived in Stafford for a few years. Used the old Chiltern whenever the Euston line failed & it was a good journey.
Hi Dylan!!!
I absolutely love these reports, your style is great. Informative written context, no annoying running commentary just simple and to the point !!! Brilliant.
Would love to see more videos reporting on the comfort of the rest of the National Rail trains , GWR, EMR, LNER, Cross Country...
Thanks! This was filmed as part of a tour of the UK so plenty more still to come 😁
@@DylansTravelReports im sub’ed !!!
Can’t wait 👍🏽👍🏽
I took Chiltern Railways about four years ago while visiting the UK. While I took Chiltern on the London to Oxford route, I was pleasantly surprised on the return to find the train being operated by the Mainline equipment, which was as good as your review states it is. Over the years during my UK holidays I have ridden on Chiltern, GWR, Southwestern, and Scotlrail, and found Chiltern to be the best.
Lovely stuff. They’ve done an amazing job on Moor Street station. The Chiltern route in general is really underrated, some great spots along it and the 68’s are beasts! Your videos continue to be excellent and have unrivalled detail Dylan. Top man 👍
Thanks!
Indeed. I live close to the line and love the roar of the 68 whist lying in bed.
I can hear the '68s throbbing up Old Hill bank on the early mornings' to Marylebone, and I live over 2 miles away!!
The catering used to be very flexible. I remember them grilling trays of bacon before putting them into freshly sliced rolls. Another time they happily rustled up a couple of slices of toast with butter and marmalade.
I doubt any operator would provide that in standard class now.
I love the Chiltern Silver trains - got to be some of the best standard class on the UK network. I live in the Midlands, so whenever I go to London I always travel using Chiltern and always try to get one of the Chiltern Silver trains.
Britain's BEST Train? Quite possibly. Thank you for a very informative and well-edited review.
I remember using the route in the early 1960s, when the Paddington to Birkenhead expresses were still running, and what a beautiful station the old Snow Hill was - as well as Moor Street. One of the delights of Moor Street was the electric traversers at the end of the bay platforms, which allowed steam locomotives to move sideways onto the adjacent track, thus saving the space needed for crossovers and so forth. I never saw either of them in use; but I remember seeing them.
In those closing years of the route's express status the stock and services from Paddington to Birmingham were good, but nowhere near as comfortable or as regular as the ones now on offer by Chiltern. However, I would agree with a number of commentators here in that it's well worth timing your journey, if you can, so that you get one of the Mark-3-plus-class-68 sets. They are more comfortable and spacious than the diesel multiple units - even though the Chiltern DMUs are among the very best of that kind in the country.
My most recent journey was a single from Moor Street to Marylebone. With my senior railcard, the cost was £4.80. Good value, eh?
The mk.III coach always gives a quiet, comfortable journey. This layout is very similar to how they were first kitted out in 1976!
I'm addicted to your filming of the approaches in and out of the stations. They tell so much about the cities around them, it's fascinating.
A good addiction to have! Thanks 😁
Especially true of Birmingham with that approach to Moor Street and its historic features contrasted with the Bullring giant UFO across the road.
I'm with you, Dylan -- the 1930s redo at Birmingham is stunning. Love it. Never traveled on Chiltern before but it looks like a nice train.
Thanks for the review!
Having retired, I rarely travel to London now but have always thought the Chiltern Line was a much nicer experience than the WCML. I well remember tha bacon rolls for Breakfast! One subtle advantage is there are rarely long-distance travellers with heavy suitcases bumping into you.
Having a bit of time between two National Express coach services at the nearby very modern Digbeth Coach Station, I took a walk to have a look at Birmingham Moor Street station, which has been returned to this very retro 1930s Great Western Railway look. I was impressed - it's really very nice. Advance fares to London on Chiltern are very good value, so when normal life resumes in the UK I may try this rail route. Hope the buffets reopen!
Brilliant video as always. You may have been blown away by the relative luxury found in these coaches, well that is due to them previously being owned by an open access operating country called “Wrexham and Shropshire” Railways. Operated a couple services a day in and out of Marylebone with the same seat but with 67 locomotives. Also, they served full meals in their First class (now business zone) with cutlery and plates and everything and had brilliant staff members all round. The goal for them was to create a luxury service for standard class as well to provide an all in all great experience. Another challenge for them was to create a buffet car over 2x smaller than what it actually was and it was to have a fully fitted kitchen and an espresso bar. Unfortunately they closed down due to monetary issues. I may have written an essay 😅
Anyways great video
Wasn't that service run by DB for a while? (Possibly just before it shut down...)
@@malthuswasright Shareholding of Wrexham and Shropshire was sold to DB in 2008. After said transaction it was 50% DB Regio, 36% Renaissance trains and 14% John Laig. In either September or October of 2009, DB took full ownership so yes you are correct
Nice! Thanks for the info!
Thanks, Dylan! I love it when you show the stations, it's beautiful! Indeed, at this price, it's not expensive at all! What a pity that such a magnificent train was empty.
Oh yes, Dylan, I was going to forget. I'm going to order new t-shirts from your store for the New Year. Indeed, the one I bought last year has already served well, I put it on almost systematically when I took the train this summer and in early autumn (so many times). I'm going to order two or three different or identical ones, I'll see newt week, I think. No one has noticed "Dylan Travel Reports" yet, it will come one day!
Except someone who immediately saw a train enthusiast and was happy. And in a year, we'll recognize your fans like that!
Thanks a lot for your support 😁
Hello there, Birmingham Moor Street was gradually run down during the 1960s.
The locomotive hauled Mark 3 carriages were built between 1975 - 1986. Apart from the batch of Mark 3 carriages for Irish Rail in 1988, none were built after 1986 for use within mainland England.
Best wishes and take care. Kind regards, Peter Skuce. St Albans. Hertfordshire.
DVTs are Mk3s and were built in 1988! But I get what you mean!
Ever since privatisation Chiltern Railways has always been the most intelligently run railway. Don't know why.
Does anyone else use the infrastructure they drive on? It appears not so. That may explain. Such closed systems often prove to be much more reliable.
Chiltern are run owned by Deutsche Bahn - explains why the trains are up to (if not better is some cases) than German stock. On the other hand, Avanti is owned by First Group and FS - hence that steeper prices and poorer quality rolling stock.
@@keithparker2206 Avanti didn't introduce the rolling stock they are using. That was introduced by Virgin Trains, which was the Virgin group and Stagecoach. Not that I'm too happy about the stock Avanti is planning to introduce, though... although I cannot find whether or not it was their own choice.
Arriva/Chiltern did introduce the Mk3 sets, though.
@@DJTrainBrain Am aware of that. I heard plans that they are going for Hitachi IEPs - not impressed at all! I was just sharing an opinion of the Avanti stock! Their service offering looks better on paper than that of Virgin, but my experience so far (I live in Wigan) is that it is worse. The best stock I have travelled on so far is that of OeBB's Railjet.
@@DJTrainBrain Cross Country share the route between. South of King's Sutton near Banbury and Leamington or South of Birmingham on their Reading to Newcastle and Bournemouth to Manchester routes
Thank you Dylan, great coverage of a less used line. I love Moor Street and that it was saved from demolition. You’re right, those sets are probably the best in the UK. Low fares too on a scenic route.
Glad you enjoyed 😁
I often have to travel from the Midlands to London and I usually try to get on the Chiltern silver trains. Trick is to get a very cheap advance ticket then pay the Business Zone upgrade on the train, for the full mk3 1st class experience. I miss the bacon sandwich & coffee though, that's been penny pinched out.
If Chiltern really wanted to compete for Business Class travel along the London to Birmingham transport corridor, since they can't beat the Pendolinos on speed, they should follow the example set by the Midland Railway in the 1880's and focus on superior passenger comfort and outstanding customer service. In 2011 I travelled in First Class with Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone Railway between London and Telford .... £60 for a First Class Return ticket which included a complimentary, two-course silver service meal in both directions. That's the kind of product which Chiltern could - and should - have offered between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Not to mention London Marylebone and Rugby Central, Leicester Central and Nottingham Victoria. Until 2014 my Gold Railcard allowed me to travel in Chiltern 's "Business Zone" for a £5 supplement. Now that really was a bargain!
Thanks to you Dylan I now know how to get to Birmingham when I visit the UK hopefully next year. The 2nd class seats looked 1st class. The train appeared clean and fully updated. The price for the one way ticket was just right. Chiltern is my train to Birmingham. Good informative video.
Thanks 😁
Always had a soft spot for Chiltern. Definitely my top choice for Birmingham especially if I can get a proper train
EVERY Train that goes to Birmingham are PROPER trains - what are you talking about?
London Northwestern and Avanti are also really nice, especially Avanti
@@Keithbarber loco hauled trains lol
@@danielboulton98 if it fits our railway tracks it's a PROPER train end of story
@@Keithbarber chill out what the fuck lol
Hi Dylan Excellent video!! I love the views outside the window!! Ice looking train!! See you next week!!
Thanks 👍
Chiltern Railways have always been excellent to me. Clean, reliable, value for money and a punctuality record to set your watch by. If you're lucky enough to get a 'Silver set' you feel like Royalty, the best Standard class rail travel experience in Britain surely. Always my 1st choice when travelling to London.
Nice solution to use push-pull rakes of refurbished Mk3 coaches. The refurbishment itself kept most of the original layout which made the Mk3s popular in the first place. No frills. No costs for stupid bells and whistles. As The Mandalorian would say: This is the way.
Really enjoy when you show points of interest along the route like stadiums etc. Great job
I used to use that line 30 -40 years ago - at least from Banbury to Marylebone. It was a slow old journey on DMU's and a lot of the line was single track. I don't know if all the line is now dual but back then I thought that through services B'ham to London would make a lot of sense. People talk about re-nationalisation and believe things were better in the 'old days' but those of us who remember and who had to suffer the bureaucracy, filth and restricted services of British Rail remember otherwise. I am sure that if it were not for the private operating companies such as Chiltern services like this one would never have existed.
I use the railway a lot and have found Chiltern to be excellent, every time. Best rail franchise IMO
That was when is was being run down prior to privatisation and wasn't always like that. The two hour Snow Hill-Paddington steam services of the 1950's were a joy to ride in.
I'm not denying that there have been a lot of improvements that have come in since privatisation (I'm not necessarily saying _because_ of privatisation, just that they have happened in the last 23 years) and that Chiltern have been one of the stand-out successes - but the through services between Marylebone and Snow Hill were reinstated in the early 1990s under Network SouthEast, when they introduced the Networkers, running every hour.
Great report. You will get new socks for Christmas!
😅
Thank you very much for this excellent video ! I agree with all that you say, and am fortunate in being able to use that service quite frequently. Chiltern were first to refurbish their Mark IIIs, and have done so to a much better standard than GWR or Scotrail for their shortened HSTs. Chiltern wisely retained the low backed seats, and the whole saloon feels much more spacious and uncluttered. The Mark IIIs, despite their age, ride far better than the CAF built MarkVs for TPE. As you say, all in all, these Chiltern "Mainline" express trains are probably the best trains presently running in the U.K !
Thanks a lot 😁
I like the decor/refurbishment of the coaches. They did an excellent job! During this time of Covid and not many people traveling, second class is perfectly fine. However, during busy times, I’d gladly pay the surcharge for Business Club. Happy Holidays to you Dylan and to your family! ☃️🎄🎅🏻
I loved that station when I visited. This service looks great.
Nice showing some budget options interior looked very modern clean
Thanks, Dylan, for filling a gap in my experience of Britain's railways. I considered travelling on this route during my September/October 2018 visit but opted for a more scenic alternative to getting from Stourbridge to Torquay. I was put off by the appearance of the alleyway one has to negotiate between New Street and Moor Street and, given I was going to be towing luggage, didn't want to risk being mugged. Anyway, I did sample Chiltern's Class 168 Turbostar from Marylebone to Oxford via Bicester and was very impressed by the train and the service. Didn't quite blow my socks off but was impressive to say the least. While I note that these loco hauled sets were inherited from the London to Wrexham service, I have a feeling that the founder of Chiltern, one Adrian Shooter, had some influence in their acceptance and upgrade for this service. I'm glad you picked a "sunny English day" to travel on this service as it complemented the bright and comfortable feel of the interior of the train. Pity about the tap in the dunny not working! Even Aussie trains occasionally have this problem due to tight servicing turnarounds. I do hope you and your family are keeping safe during the current COVID crisis. You have probably heard that Sydney in Aussie is having some issues now. I'm glad that I live in Melbourne, even if we suffered a long lockdown, as we look able to enjoy the holiday season with relatively few restrictions. Have a Merry Christmas and I look forward to next week's offering while burping over my plum pudding.
Thanks! Keep safe.
I really enjoyed learning about this service. Thank you for that. Seeing loco-hauled, modernised Mark 3s, a MUCH lovelier station at Birmingham, and the Chiltern service which I've never been on - I like it.
Glad you enjoyed 😁
Good to see your still staying safe Dylan. I hope you have a great Christmas.
You too!
Looks absolutely wonderful. Sadly not too busy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.
Happy Christmas!
The coach you designated as business zone is the first class coach layout from Aberdeen to
London. I don’t travel standard because I have bad knee joints and need the room to stretch.
Great and informative video , keep up the great work I really enjoyed the ride..
Thanks 👍
A very good advert for chiltern Dylan and I haven’t read any negative reports about them , stay safe Dylan
Chiltern are stingy, penny-pinching so-and-so's. My suggestions that they provide Business Zone lounges at London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill fell upon very deaf ears. DMU trains, with noisy underfloor engines, are not suitable for long-distance, inter-city journeys. A Power Car and a DVT, or (even better) a Power Car at each end, is the way forward. Think Scotrail Inter7Cities short-formed, pocket-rocket HST's!
6:30 interesting chime there
Good to see that you properly tested the plug sockets (shoved your fingers in them :p)
also thameslink ironboards ftw, you can sit on an eternally delayed train WHILE ironing your clothes!
Another great review, Dylan! Thanks!
Thanks 😁
Really impressed beautiful train journey.
Used Chiltern since 1994, consistently good and steady improvements throughout that time. Marylebone modest size and clean too, my favourite London terminus.
Yes. Marylebone is a beautiful station on a very human scale.
the chiltern service is by far superior to the alternative via Intercity West Coast, the rolling stock is far superior, making for a more pleasant and affordable journey
What a review, never travelled with this operator but might be so it was definitely insightful thanks!
This train look incredible !
Thanks for your videos. Very informative!
Thanks!
i love that little Ding! noise it makes before the announcements its unlike any other the other fleet they have
Ah, when you were going past Wembley I was hoping you'd show the train powering past cars on the road next to the train tracks. My favourite bit of the journey. Always like using Chiltern for Birmingham trips
nice day trip ride from birmingham to london on a rainy day the station at birmingham is nicely renovated.
Lucky enough to live in leamington Spa so chiltern is my go to for London or Birmingham trips.. Never been more than a few minutes late, always clean, always got a seat, and not a bad price if you can get a ticket online before travel.. Really a good train service. :)
Train looks great, seats comfy looking and interior inviting. So only one seat in the set of four can be used - I knew there had to be SOMETHING positive about the current COVID lockdowns etc. For a 2nd class ticket you get a whole bank of seats to yourself. I think the information screens are a great idea. Myself I never look at any of the entertainment anyway. At 11:11 those are subway trains ? The price was amazing, so inexpensive. Push-pull trains with a cab car are operated in Canada on commuter runs around and into Toronto and even Montreal. Thanks for sharing Dylan; the loco is a monster !!
I agree, a 2nd class ticket is basically like 1st class atm with the seat next to you being blocked off. The trains at 11:11 are indeed subway trains (London Underground.)
Great video as always. Very nice trip though I find the DMUs very noisy and uncomfortable with the vibrations. Line needs electrifying but I suspect fierce opposition around the countryside halt that to happen. Thanks, Dylan, take care and stay safe.
Thanks!
Been looking forward to this one. My local station is high Wycombe
Great vid Dylan, lovely train, way above average for the UK.
Thanks!
Thanks for the useful information. It would never have occurred to me to use Moor Street Station, which I assumed was for local services only. It doesn't have the "Grand Central" shopping centre on top of it that New Street station has, but I suppose that must be closed during the lock down.
Excellent Dylan...
Not only does Chiltern have the Mk3 coaches on some of the Birmingham - London services, but Moor Street and Marylebone are much more pleasant than New Street and Euston!
Euston to Birmingham new street however do use PROPER trains however, just as much as chiltern
@@Keithbarber Pendilinos and Voyagers are decent trains, and the service is quick. But New Street and Euston are such horrible depressing stations. New Street you need to pull out a map to figure out where you're going, and Euston is just... grim.
Unfortunately the Moor Street of today will be "improved" (mhmm) when hs2 turns up
When I was younger when I went to moor street next to it I used to call it the mento building
Another great video Dylan have now subscribed
Thanks a lot!
@@DylansTravelReports you’re welcome !
Thumbs up! Great Video! Best greetings
Thanks 😁
The standard class seats on the class 168 chiltern trains are also super comfy
Chiltern Railways is indeed the perfect travel option between London & Birmingham. But it must be said that the onward connections are as good from Marylebone than they are from Euston (just the Bakerloo line).
That is true but Marylebone is a MUCH nicer station than Euston...
Baker Street is less than 5 minutes walk away, with much more choice
i saw a few of these when I was waiting at Solihull station a few years back and thought they looked classy then. The Class 68's look fantastic and you have to love a train with proper locomotives
The seat backs still feature that bulge just above the hips so that one's backside gets pushed off the seat. The bulge should be in the small of the back. When I worked for BR I tried to get that sorted back in the 80s, but my words fell on deaf ears (surprise, surprise!)
Great video!! Thank you ! 😃✌️
Thanks!
Wonderful Compilation
Thanks!
My train of choice when I go to Lord's for the cricket!
Chiltern certainly pulled out all the stops when designing and building these sets. The class 68 locomotive also goes extremely well with the coaches, I completely agree in that this could well be one of the best train services in the UK.
Enjoyed your journey as always but a shame you didn't show more of Leamington Spa station as it is another example of what stations many used to be look like.
Nice to know , the best train in Great Britain. Thanks
Great review Dylan - thanks! On a rare trip to (my native) UK, I'd the chance to ride that route on Chiltern... and thought GBP 32 walk-up single was a very fair fare! Alas, t'was a Sunday so no chance of loco propulsion/Mk 3s. Which still look great - though I'd miss the droplight windows... But as it turned out, Avanti had multiple staff shortages that morning so their WCML operations saw many delays/cancellations - so I'd backed the right horse.
One comment about the Quiet Zone - to me, "quiet" means not being surrounded by conversations - so if the "white noise" of the traction equipment lulls ears instead, it may be the best place for that zone.
Great video as always, Leamington Spa is my local station so I take this route frequently
Another fabulous report. Sorry I was bitchy about your grammar last time! These vids are amazing. And very professional!
Thanks 😁
Hi Glad you found this option to London from Birmingham . Looking forward to your report on the HS2 to Curzon Street ( by which time your railcard will need to be an Over 60 one!!!! Thanks for a great Video and I have to say for me a refreshment counter would be good Have a safe Christmas
Thanks! Over 60 Railcard 😂 Have a great Christmas!
For some reason your channel popped up on my screen and as I watched and listened, as a foreigner, to your narrative I began to wonder if this Chiltern train is economically viable and their business plan sustainable. Anyway, I did enjoy your video. And oh yes, stay safe, strong and healthy in these dangerous times.
Chiltern have been going well for many years on this route. The ticket price here does seem incredibly cheap, but the best advance fares often are. Expect to pay much more if you walk up on the day.
@@cephalopod7300 thank you for your explanation.
Yay Birmingham my home town and I use Birmingham Moor Street and New Street quite frequently 🚆 oh and Adderley Park is my local train station
I wish I could go on these SILVER SETS with the DVTs and the 68s...
Annoys me when trains don’t have working taps at the best of times, never mind in the middle of a pandemic!
The thing is on the chiltern Fleet they only get there tanks filled up once a day or once every 2 days. Because marlebone or Birmingham don't offer water filling services they can't be filled up therefore they have to be filled up at the depot. Its not ideal but chiltern have no other way of doing it
They at least should provide hand sanitizer and/or wipes.
Agree entirely. Chiltern operate a very good service on that line. It makes me wonder what advantages HS2 is going to bring apart from increased capacity, as the speed element is not so relevant to many travellers especially if the comfort and convenience is there.
Am I looking at a preserved railway station or a mainline railways station? A National Rail station done out in traditional & original GWR colours, I am amazed - excellent!
I agree! Moor Street really is an amazing station!
Tip top stuff as per dear boy !!!
The Chiltern Mk 3 coaches do look brilliant. Marshmallow soft. But, I remember being very impressed with the comfort seats on the class 458 Juniper on South Western Railway.
I have seen those a lot when I go to Solihull and Birmingham Moor Street is a beautiful old station.
Totally agree . Moor Street is beautifully restored. Marylebone is also a good place to start/ end one's journey..Years ago The then Paddington( not
( Marylebone) to Birmingham GWR Service was advertised as the fastest route between the 2 cities. I'd rather comfort and scenery anyday .
Just shows how good the original mk3 as built was... Those are the original seats btw, reupholstered of course and minus the centre arm ash trays
. No 'cram them in' ironing board or Ryanair style airline seats. Indeed in their original guise they would put many current 1st Class offerings to shame. Sidenote, the little silver ball shaped grab handles were originally a cube shape.
Nice review. On my first visit to England in the summer of 1980, I rode the local trains between Marylebone and High Wycombe a couple of times. Maybe only commuter trains served Marylebone at that time. I do remember passing Wembley Stadium!
Thanks! Would have been the much nicer old Wembley then as well 😁
The children route to Birmingham is so nice with great scenery ,wonder if electrification will come to this rote next and to think it was being rationalised not long ago now it’ looks like all the bits are going back to almost pre beaching times hope the wood head is next for reopening
Oooops I meant chiltern route typo
The Midland Main Line from Leicester to Nottingham and Sheffield should get 25kV OLE way ahead of the Chiltern Railways secondary main line from London to Birmingham, which largely duplicates the electrified West Coast Main Line.
I rode from Moor St. to Marylebone back in 2018 on Chiltern. It was lovely. The Mk3s were a brilliant ride, comfortable, quiet. The service was punctual, early, even, despite being a peak service. Left me plenty of time to dick around in London for a bit instead of being in a panic to get to Heathrow for my outbound flight.
Really, there's a lot to be said about the Mk3 and Mk4 coaching stock in use for intercity services. It's hard to beat them in comparison to every single other trainset in current use now. That same trip, I rode in a 90/Mk3 set up the GEML and that was lovely too.
I've never used Chiltern, as I live in Scotland but they look like really well thought out and designed seats. The definitely don't have a 2nd class feel to them.
Had no idea as it’s not a service I’ve ever needed to use but that is surprisingly great. Inexpensive, great train interior and not busy stations at either end for cities of their size - only thing that could be made reasonably better would be some sort of catering but I know that’s probably expecting too much on regional low cost trains. Hope I have a reason (& able to once the enemy that must not be named is vaccinated out of existence) to try it out soon.
Wow so you've been to Dundee where I am, you've been on a Train that daily serves Dundee and the Rainbow Enviro 400 at 0:10 has also came to Dundee. Amazing Work!
That is one nice ride for the money! 👍
Good one.
In the States we call the remote driver car a "cab car", or derisively the "death car", since there is not much crash protection in case of a collision with another train in push mode.
My local station is south Ruislip, the mainline goes past it
@TheRenaissanceman65 I always take the 114 to Queensbury Circle to catch the jubilee
@TheRenaissanceman65 Ruislip or Ruislip manor?