Class 730 fleet

In addition to our new diesel train fleet we are excited to be welcoming a total of 48 brand-new electric trains.

In November 2023 the first of our new Class 730 trains came into service with our sister company London Northwestern Railway on routes to/from London Euston. These trains will be coming to the West Midlands in the first half of 2024, starting with our Walsall-Wolverhampton route followed closely by the Cross City Line between Lichfield, Birmingham and Redditch/Bromsgrove.

These trains will be with us in the next year or so, but we are able to share some background to their development, testing, and their journey towards transforming your future travels with us.

New electric class 730 fleet:

  • 48 trains in 3 car formation to replace the Class 323s and doubling capacity for passengers on the Cross-City line

Video: Class 730 animated fly-through video

The first of our new electric fleet is being manufactured by Alstom. Despite some challenges caused by the pandemic the fleet has begun its rigorous programme of testing, both in the UK and at the famous Velim facility in Czechia.

Class 730 Train

Once testing is complete and our teams are all trained, we will launch this fleet into passenger service on our network. So, watch this space for more exciting developments, as this programme makes strides towards helping bring more electric trains to our network.

730 Factsheet (PDF)