TheBritish Rail Class 730Aventra is a type ofelectric multiple unit passenger train built byAlstom forWest Midlands Trains. Two separate batches of the fleet were built; 48 three-car units and 36 five-car units.
Class 730/0 West Midlands Railway interiorClass 730/0 unit alongside twoClass 323 units atSoho Depot.
In October 2017, West Midlands Trains were awarded the franchise to operate local rail services aroundBirmingham and theWest Midlands, suburban services toLondon Euston, and long-distance inter-urban services operating from both Euston andBirmingham New Street.[16] At the time the franchise was awarded, the company announced that it would procure more than 100 new trains at a cost of £680million to replace older rolling stock and enhance its fleet.[17] Of these, a total of 81 EMUs were ordered fromBombardier Transportation from itsAventra product range.[18] They were built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works.[19] The first completed train was unveiled in September 2020.[17]
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.[20][7]
London Northwestern Railway Class 730/2 in service atStafford
The Class 730/0 trains entered service on 13 November 2023[21] and were the second new fleet to be introduced by West Midlands Trains, following theClass 196 which entered service on 17 October 2022.[22]
The introduction of the Class 730 on the Cross-City line in 2024 enables the withdrawal ofClass 323 units,[23] 17 of which will be cascaded toNorthern Trains.[24] It will also allow for the withdrawal of theClass 350/2 units on theWest Midlands Trains network.
The Class 730 was tested inVelim in Czechia, as well as in the UK.[25] Testing of Class 730 units on theWest Midlands Trains network began in March 2021,[26] and in February 2022 the then full order of 36 Class 730/0 units received authorisation for service from theOffice of Rail and Road.[4]
The three-car Class 730 units are currently being used onWest Coast Main Line services out of London. This allowed for the withdrawal ofClass 319s.[27] The first three-car Class 730 entered passenger service on the Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Walsall services in February 2024,[28] with the units being introduced onCross-City Line services in the Spring.[6][21][29][30] The first pair of Class 730 units entered service on the Cross-City Line on 15 April 2024.[31]The three-car Class 730/0 units will be maintained atSoho Depot inBirmingham which is the home depot of theClass 323s[9] and the five-car Class 730/2 units will be maintained atBletchley Depot inMilton Keynes. In 2020,West Midlands Trains planned to maintain them atBescot Depot inWalsall.[11][20]
The first of the Class 730/2 trains entered service on 9 June 2025.[2][32]
The two separate batches were constructed to operate at different maximum speeds to suit different uses. The three-car Class 730/0 trains—designed forCross-City Line and Birmingham local services— operate at up to 90 mph (140 km/h),[17] and were built to double capacity on theCross-City Line. The five-car Class 730/2 trains will operate on outer suburban and long-distance LNR services and will operate at up to 110 mph (180 km/h).[17][19][33]
Officially named on 23 May 2024 to celebrateBirmingham 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.[37]
^"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.
