Chiltern Railways brings back first-class carriages in ‘surprising’ move

A train operator is set to reintroduce first-class sections on its services, defying the industry trend towards standard-class-only carriages.

Chiltern Railways announced that its routes between London and the West Midlands will feature these premium carriages from next year.

Passengers opting for the upgrade can expect “more spacious seats and improved connectivity”, though catering will not be provided.

This move marks a significant shift for Chiltern Railways, which eliminated first-class seating more than a decade ago.

The operator also discontinued its designated business zone, which offered an on-board upgrade, in March 2020, citing the Covid pandemic.

Several train operators in Britain have scrapped first-class travel in recent years because of a lack of demand.

These include London Northwestern Railway (in May 2023), Southeastern (in December 2022) and Stansted Express (in January 2020).

Others have made the switch for certain routes, such as Greater Anglia, Thameslink and Great Western Railway.

First-class tickets can cost several times the amount of standard-class fares.

Some long-distance operators such as Avanti West Coast and LNER provide more space, hot food and alcoholic drinks to passengers who pay extra money.

Rail historian and broadcaster Christian Wolmar said he is “very surprised” at the announcement by Chiltern Railways.

Passengers wanting a premium service are “probably in a hurry” so travel on Avanti West Coast services between London and Birmingham, which are generally more expensive but quicker, he said.

For suburban services, premium travel is “an outdated concept from the days of bowler-hatted gentlemen in their first-class compartment while their secretaries sat in second”.

He went on: “That era has gone. I think for those sort of services, there are very few people who would really want to pay for a premium.”

Chiltern Railways is replacing its oldest carriages – Mark 3s which date back to the 1970s – with 13 Mark 5A trains from spring next year.

The trains – previously operated by TransPennine Express – are already configured with first-class sections, and it would have cost millions of pounds to…