Chiltern Railways awarded new six-year contract

The Arriva-owned company runs trains to London Marylebone

Chiltern Railways has been awarded a new six-year contract by the government with a commitment to reduce emissions.

The Arriva-owned company will continue running trains between London Marylebone and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the West Midlands.

It said it would expand trials converting diesel trains to diesel-battery hybrids, which are zero-emission while standing at stations.

Managing director, Richard Allan, said the firm was "determined to modernise".

It will also bring in an enhanced compensation scheme, with passengers eligible if they are delayed by 15 minutes, rather than the current 30 minutes.

The new contract starts on 31 December and runs to the end of 2027.

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Chiltern Railways has held the franchise for services on its routes since July 1996.

Earlier this year, the Department for Transport announced a new state-owned body, Great British Railways (GBR), to set timetables and prices, sell tickets in England and manage rail infrastructure.

The plan will begin in 2023 and the Chiltern Railways agreement could see the firm moved on to a new type of contract in early 2025.

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