'I tried the UK's new high-tech £200million trains with underfloor heating'
It's not every day that the country gets a new train. Let alone 36 of them.
Happily, Monday was one of those days.
On June 9, the first of 36 Class 730/2 Northwestern Railway trains opened doors to passengers for the first time. I was lucky enough to be on the test train on Friday, when it trundled out of London Euston stations, making its way roughly half an hour to Milton Keynes, where it promptly turned back around.
For those who need a little more to get their blood pumping than a ride from a classic domitary settlement on a spotless commuter train, there was entertainment. Sequin jacket-wearing performers belted out tunes that might've been from The Greatest Showman, while viral pudding brand Humble Crumble served up little cardboard bowls of their sweet treat.
Merlin Entertainment was onboard, hiding free tickets to its attractions up in the freshly polished, see-through luggage racks (designed to make spotting bags/freebies easier) and beneath the tidily upholstered chairs.
For those with a deeper appreciation of a good train, then Great Northwestern delivered some tantalizing figures.
The 730 Class consists of 84 trains and 324 carriages. An average three-carriage train has 199 seats, while the five-carry configuration takes 406.
For the 36 Class 730/2 trains specifically, north of £200million has been splashed out.
It will run on Cross City Line routes from Lichfield to Birmingham and Redditch, linking Walsall and Wolverhampton and Rugeley to Birmingham International. At its fastest, the train rattles along at 90 mph, powered by electric engines.
London Northwestern has tweaked the classic train design a little to give the impression of more space. The gangways have been left open, giving a "more spacious feel", while extra room has been allocated to bike storage - although "up to three" bikes will do little more than remind cyclists of how far we have fallen since the giddy days of bike-carriages on UK trains. For that kind of considerate fun, your best bet is heading to France, Italy or the Netherlands.
Each seat has a plug and USB socket. While this is to be expected on a new train, it is still good news—so long as they actually work and don't cause your phone to glitch out, as is often the case.
London Northwestern's overall investment in new trains and infrastructure (which totals three new train fleets and lots of depot upgrades) is £1billion.
So what will commuters make of it?
While it might not be blow anyone's mind or cause Michael Portillo to dust off his presenting boots, it is a solid train. The 730/2 does not fall into any of the classic traps. Its seats are comfortable and well upholstered (more than can be said for the likes of GWR) and its aisles are well proportioned (something Greater Anglia finds incredibly difficult for some reason).
There's enough space in the seats and communal areas to give you a bit of breathing space during the morning commute, and the toilets don't talk to you, unlike the psychotic Virgin trains that used to serve this part of the country.
All in all, a well-executed train. Would ride again.
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