London Northwestern Railway (LNR) is celebrating the first anniversary of its Alstom Aventra Class 730/2 electric train fleet entering passenger service, highlighting significant improvements in capacity, reliability and customer satisfaction across key routes connecting London Euston with destinations across the West Midlands and beyond.
The first Class 730/2 Aventra train entered service on 9 June 2025, beginning a phased introduction of the new fleet on routes between Northampton and London Euston. The trains later expanded to the Trent Valley Line between Crewe and Euston in December 2025, serving major locations including Milton Keynes, Rugby and Lichfield.
Built at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, the fleet consists of 36 five-carriage electric multiple units, providing a total of 180 carriages. The introduction of the new trains has increased capacity on LNR services to and from London Euston by 20 percent, helping meet growing passenger demand on some of the UK’s busiest rail corridors.
Following the completion of the rollout, passengers have reported a significantly improved travel experience. Customer satisfaction levels on LNR’s Trent Valley Line services have increased by 20 percent, while services operating towards Northampton have recorded a 10 percent improvement. Passengers have particularly welcomed the trains’ spacious interiors, modern facilities and enhanced onboard environment.
The Class 730/2 fleet forms part of Alstom’s Aventra family of electric trains, which represents one of the largest UK train manufacturing programmes in recent decades. Since 2015, Alstom’s Derby facility has produced 2,660 Aventra carriages for rail operators across the country.
Andy Butters, Managing Director of Derby Litchurch Lane Works at Alstom, said the first year of operation demonstrated the positive impact the Aventra trains are having on passengers and railway services. He highlighted the improvements in capacity and customer satisfaction as evidence of the fleet’s contribution to modernising UK rail travel. He added that the milestone reflects the expertise and commitment of teams at the Derby facility, which remains the UK’s only end-to-end train manufacturing site capable of designing, engineering, building and testing complete trains for domestic and international markets.
Established 150 years ago, Derby Litchurch Lane Works continues to play a vital role in supporting the UK rail industry, creating skilled employment opportunities and maintaining expertise across the national manufacturing supply chain. The Aventra programme continues to expand, with the first of ten additional Class 345 electric multiple units recently leaving the Derby production line. These new trains will join the Elizabeth line fleet later this year, increasing the total fleet to 80 trains and supporting Transport for London in meeting rising demand on the UK’s busiest railway service.
