It's Wednesday.
It's the 24th of, what month are we in, April.
I'm at the delightful Ridgmont station, which has a tea room
and a Heritage Centre and a whole bunch of other
rather charming, attractive features.
But mainly what it's got, is this.
So here's the deal.
In this corner here, there's a video.
God, it must be like a year ago now, maybe like 18 months,
I did a trip up to the Vivarail factory
where they basically took these trains,
the old 78 London underground D-Stock trains.
People around have converted them.
And in that video, I explored how they were
turning these trains to run on this and others line.
But they started in service yesterday.
(door beeps)
So it sounds like a D-Stock,
and kind of looks like a D-Stock.
Oh, there's some people playing guitar music in there.
(musician sings)
I wasn't expecting to get to be serenaded almost
by guitar music.
I put their link in the description.
So we're on the 230, but my eyes are drawn.
I kind of half expect to see, or I want to see,
a district line carriage map up here.
But instead there isn't, but there is
I can see that the carriage map is in fact,
it's like an individual,
it reminds me of being on, when you're on the 1938 stock
on the Isle of White, on the tube trains there.
There's a much more colourful characterful map giving detail.
So I can see here at every stop,
there's a little bit of detail about every stop.
And there's some others that pertain,
Alisha Miller, who I believe is the artist
that designed the toilet.
There's like things to do.
So there's a picture there about Bletchley Park.
A lot of thought has obviously gone
into adding a bit more character to the line diagram
rather than just having, you know, a boring line diagram.
The next station is Aspley Guise.
(train engine revs)
Aspley Guise, Aspley Guise, Aspley,
famous of course at one point
for being the least used station.
Oh, I'm getting stared at by the conductor.
Are those new seats as well?
Time to go for a wander, I think, down the train.
There is space for a bike, fold down seats.
There's a toilet.
We'll come back from the toilet.
There are high back seats in this amazing maquette design.
There are some table seats.
There are side seats.
More interestingly, can walk between the carriages
and then you come down here,
and we're at the front of the two car train.
Looks good.
What I do like is that there are table seats
(indistinct announcements)
T, if you're watching, do you think tube trains,
like underground trains, should have table seats?
How'd you like the new train?
It's lovely, so accessible, finally.
Should it be in Betchley, we've finally got tips.
Okay bye.
See ya.
I think she likes it.
The only thing I was gonna say is that I'm intrigued.
If I just go and sit at one of the table seats.
I'm intrigued.
High back seats, high back seats.
The maquette.
Vicky's not with me.
So as a, I have sent her a picture of the maquette
but it's the green, there's like a green diamond in it
which to me looks like the diamond shape.
that's in the London Northwestern logo.
But what's nice about it is that
the London Northwestern colours happen to be green,
and that also gives a slight nod
to the district line, which is green.
It it's, it's good either way.
I really like the high back seats.
It's like proper seats
but I then like the way that they've retained
some of the old underground style seats as well.
It's a nice mix and fold down seats
and toilets, accessible toilet by the way.
Loads of space in there.
That customer very happy.
It's all good.
I like it.
I've met an ex district line driver called Richard.
What'd you think?
Very impressive.
Very comfortable seats.
Very smooth ride.
Very quiet.
You'd hardly know it was a diesel powered train.
Should they have tables on tube trains?
No.
(laughs)
Excellent answer.
Departed Bletchley.
On our way back.
We're gonna get out at Ridgmont again for a cup of tea.
We just saw the two of the trains in the shed
as we left Bletchley and that's an advantage which they have
not only are they they're gonna have a spare,
but the trains are now based here.
Where'd you say they were based before?
At Tyseley.
at Tyseley near Birmingham.
That's where they had to send the class 153 to.
And now they're based here for maintenance.
(door beeps)
There's a brilliant poster up there as well about how,
it says D-Stock to D-Train,
and the phrase they're using is upcycled.
Will there be more instances of this happening
with railways in Britain, where instead of being
consigned to the scrap heap, you take an older train
and you give it a brilliant refurb
as Vivarail have done,
and turn it into an amazing train like this.
We could see more of it in the future.
Do you commute this line every day?
Every single day.
And did you turn up yesterday not knowing that there
was a new train?
Was it quite chance? Yeah, pretty much.
What happened?
I just come to the train
and I said, oh, there's the new one?
Cause I seen it commuting, like back and forth.
And they were like testing out
with the people in orange jackets.
And I said, oh my God, it's the new train.
So I got on and I was like, wow, this is different.
We got to Ridgmont and it's raining.
It's really raining.
See you guys See you later.
See on the return, see you on the return.
Get the dramatic shot in the rain
of the 230 departing.
So we made it to Ridgmont.
Ridgmont has a little sort of
heritage room/museum/place of interest and also tea rooms
and a nice gentleman down there
is making us all a cup of tea.
Just do a quick 360 spin around,
so you can see what's going on here.
And there's a nice man called Steven
that we're gonna go and have a quick chat with.
Hello.
You are the Community Rail Officer
for the Marston Vale line.
Have I got that correct?
Marston Vale Commuter Rail Punch Officer, yes pretty much.
I know you're excited.
We are very excited. I'm setting you up.
How excited are you about the new trains?
Well, we've been talking about these new trains
for what seems like years and years and years.
So now they're finally here, it's fantastic.
I've been riding them myself yesterday and also today.
They're just so light and airy,
much more, much better facilities for passengers.
And one of the best things to think about them is
all the information on them about what you can do
on our fantastic line.
The Heritage Centre behind me here at Ridgmont.
All the walks you can do.
All the attractions you can visit.
Like I realised about the tea rooms.
I didn't realise there was a little museum.
The museum, the museum's great.
(indistinct chatter)
So there's a shop, a tea room and then there's this in here.
This is John, say Hi John.
Hi
He's let us in.
This is the old general waiting room, which is now,
well this is a ticket office window.
So clearly this was a ticket office too.
It's now a little tiny museum.
So basically come and ride the Bedford to Bletchley line,
ride the new Vivarail class 230 and get out at Ridgmont.
Have a cup of tea and check out their museum.
Perfect.
So that is Ridgmont, thanks Steven.
It's a brilliant place to come and have
like a little railway adventure.
Have an adventure day out.
Here comes our train.
(indistinct announcements)
(train brakes)
(train door beeps)
That is it, back on the train, back on the district line.
Sorry, back on the Marston Vale line.
Gonna head for Bletchley.
Yeah, it's like, it's like the district line, but not.
It's actually, it's quiet.
It's so good you wouldn't know
that you're on a diesel train, I'll say that.
It feels you kind of, I guess you get sucked
into the whole district line thing.
You feel like you're on an electric train
but it is a really quiet,
it is a really quiet diesel train.
Loving it
Toilet door locked.
This is what the toilet looks like by the way.
It's just a toilet.