The British Rail Class 730 Aventra is a type of electric multiple unit passenger train built by Alstom for West Midlands Trains. Two separate batches of the fleet were built; 48 three-car units and 36 five-car units.
In October 2017, West Midlands Trains were awarded the franchise to operate local rail services around Birmingham and the West Midlands, suburban services to London Euston, and long-distance inter-urban services operating from both Euston and Birmingham New Street.[11] At the time the franchise was awarded, the company announced that it would procure more than 100 new trains at a cost of £680m[12] to replace older rolling stock and enhance its fleet. Of these, a total of 81 EMUs were ordered from Bombardier Transportation from its Aventra product range.[13] They are being built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works.[14] The first completed train was unveiled in September 2020.[12]
In 2022 the order was amended to increase the proportion of three-car units in the fleet, which will result in the delivery of 48 three-car units and 36 five-car units instead of the original plan for 36 three-car units, Class 730/0, and 45 five-car units, Class 730/1 and Class 730/2 – a total of 324 vehicles in 84 units.[15][5]
London Northwestern Railway Class 730/2 undergoing testing at Nuneaton
The Class 730 trains entered service on 13 November 2023[16] and were the second new fleet to be introduced by West Midlands Trains, following the Class 196 which entered service on 17 October 2022.[17]
The introduction of the 730s on the Cross-City line in 2024 will allow the Class 323s to be withdrawn,[18] 17 of which will be cascaded to Northern Trains.[19] The Class 730 will also allow for the withdrawal of the Class 350/2 units on the West Midlands Trains network.
The Class 730 was tested in Velim in the Czech Republic, as well as in the UK.[20] Testing of Class 730 units on the West Midlands Trains network began in March 2021,[21] and in February 2022 the then full order of 36 Class 730/0 units received authorisation for service from the Office of Rail and Road.[2]
The 3-car Class 730 units are currently being used on West Coast Main Line services out of London. This allowed for the withdrawal of Class 319s.[22] The first 3-car Class 730 entered passenger service on the Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Walsall services in February 2024,[23] with the units being introduced on Cross-City Line services in the Spring.[4][16][24][25] The first pair of Class 730s units entered service on the Cross-City Line on 15 April 2024.[26]
The 3-car 730/0s will be maintained at Soho DepotinBirmingham which is the home depot of the Class 323s[7] and the 5-car 730/2s will be maintained at Bletchley DepotinMilton Keynes. In 2020 West Midlands Trains planned to Maintain them at Bescot DepotinWalsall.[8][15]
The two separate batches are being constructed to operate at different maximum speeds to suit different uses. The 3-car Class 730/0 trains—designed for Cross-City Line and Birmingham local services—will operate at up to 90 mph (145 km/h)[12] and will double capacity on the Cross-City Line. The 5-car Class 730/2 trains will operate on outer suburban and long-distance LNR services and will operate at up to 110 mph (177 km/h).[12][14][27]
Officially named on 23 May 2024 to celebrate Birmingham Pride. This was the first class 730/0 to be named. The unit has also had a pride livery applied, with the faded diamond motif in pride colours.[30]
^ abFender, K.; Sheratt, P. (June 2018). "West Midlands prepares for new fleets". Modern Railways. Vol. 75, no. 837. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 78. ISSN0026-8356.
^"Class 730 Fleet". West Midlands Railway. Birmingham: West Midlands Trains. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
^"Class 323 EMUs to remain in traffic with Northern". Rail Magazine. No. 886. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. 28 August 2019. p. 30. ISSN0953-4563.
^"West Midlands Trains turns back the clock with retro repaint for Class 323". Today's Railways UK. No. 252. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. February 2023. p. 55. ISSN1475-9713.
