Review: West Midlands Railways introduces Class 730s

West Midlands Trains is introducing two Bombardier Aventra fleets into traffic and up first is the Class 730/0s for West Midlands Railways. By Pip Dunn.

In this article:

• West Midlands Trains replaced old electric fleets with UK-assembled Class 730 Aventra commuter trains.
• Class 730/0 units offer better space and ride comfort, but fewer seats than the Class 323s they replace.
• Designed for flexibility and modern commuter needs, the trains score high on comfort, build, and usability.

West Midlands Trains is split into two very distinct parts - West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNWR) - and is one of several train operating companies undergoing a major fleet shake-up.

It has introduced a fleet of new CAF Class 196 diesel units that were ‘train tested’ in early 2023 (RAIL 980).

Next on the agenda was replacing some of the electric fleets.

For WMR, that meant the Class 323s used on the Cross-City Line and other local trains emanating from the Birmingham area. For LNWR, it involved the Class 319/321s and the Class 350/2s.

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