London Northwestern Railway (LNR) has confirmed that train services on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford and Bletchley will resume on Monday 20 November after nearly a year of closure due to the collapse of Vivarail.

In December 2022, the company which built and maintained the Class 230 trains which previously ran on the route went into administration, and since then only rail replacement buses have run. The service will now resume using Class 150 trains instead.

However, the resumed service will be limited. Just four services in each direction will run on the route during weekday morning and afternoon peak periods only, and the rail replacement bus service will continue to run at other times.

The operator expects to return to its full timetable, including Saturday services, early next year. By then, it expects to have trained enough train crew to operate the Class 150 fleet. The Marston Vale Line has very short platforms, so only certain types of train can operate on the route. LNR has arranged the transfer of three Class 150 trains from elsewhere in the country so that it can run a service. The Class 150 trains to be used on the line from next week were most recently in service with Northern.

Each train can carry 173 passengers and is accessible to wheelchair users. Recent refurbishment of the trains has included installing universally accessible toilets, an upgraded passenger information system and USB charging points throughout the carriages.

LNR has hoped to restore services earlier, but disappointed passengers in August by announcing that it would not restart in time for the new academic term.

More information on the project to restore services to the Marston Vale Line, including details of the partial timetable, is available on the LNR website here.

Jonny Wiseman, LNR customer experience director, said: “We are delighted to announce the return of passenger trains to the Marston Vale Line.

“We recognise that due to logistical constraints it has taken longer than we had hoped to bring back the train service and we thank our customers for their patience.

“While we will initially be running a partial timetable, we are working hard to train our drivers and senior conductors as quickly as possible with a view to resuming the full service in the new year.”

Stephen Sleight, from the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership, said: “I am really pleased that train services are due to resume shortly on the Marston Vale Line. The line is a lifeline for the communities along it and means an enormous amount to local people who rely on it for access to education, work, and leisure.

“I am sure passengers will be impressed by the refurbishment of the Class 150s and I look forward to the resumption of the full service in the New Year.”