Train operator hails success of Alstom trains serving London

A train operator has hailed the success of a fleet of trains serving London built by Alstom’s Derby factory.

During their first year of service, millions of London Northwestern Railway (LNR) passengers have travelled on the trains, which were built at the firm’s Litchurch Lane Works.

The first Class 730/2 Aventra electric train entered service on 9 June 2025 and has been credited with revolutionising the travel experience to and from London Euston railway station.

The fleet is made up of 36 five-carriage trains – a total of 180 carriages – and has increased capacity on LNR routes to and from London Euston by a fifth.

The fleet was gradually introduced to the route between Northampton and London Euston from June 2025 before entering service on the Trent Valley Line between Crewe and Euston in December 2025, serving destinations including Milton Keynes, Rugby and Lichfield.

One year on, the rollout is now complete and has led to a 20% increase in customer satisfaction on LNR’s busy Trent Valley Line services as well as a 10% increase on the route towards Northampton, with passengers quick to praise the trains’ spacious interiors.

Part of the Aventra family of electric multiple-unit trains, Alstom has produced 2,660 cars at its Derby factory for customers across the UK since 2015 – making it the biggest train manufacturing programme in a generation.

Celebrating its 150th birthday this year, Derby Litchurch Lane Works is the UK’s only facility capable of designing, engineering, manufacturing and testing trains from scratch for both domestic and export markets

Andy Butters, managing director of Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works, said: “It’s fantastic to see the real impact our Aventra trains are having for London Northwestern Railway and its passengers just one year into service.

“From boosting capacity to driving significant improvements in customer satisfaction, this fleet is transforming journeys on some of the UK’s busiest routes.

“For everyone at Litchurch Lane, this milestone is a proud reflection of the skill, dedication and innovation of our teams, who have designed and built these trains in Derby.

“As the UK’s only end‑to‑end train manufacturing facility, we are committed to delivering modern, high-capacity fleets that support sustainable growth on the railway while underpinning jobs and expertise across our nationwide supply chain.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at London Northwestern Railway, said: “These modern electric trains have made a massive difference for the millions of commuter and leisure passengers who travel on our services to and from London Euston every year.

“It’s fantastic to see how our customer satisfaction scores have risen since their introduction 12 months ago and we look forward to building on the success of the fleet as we move towards an integrated publicly-owned railway.”