British Rail Class 730

British Rail Class 730 Aventra

Industry	Rail transport
Founded	2020
Founder	Alstom
Products	Electric multiple unit trains
Parent	West Midlands Trains

The British Rail Class 730 Aventra represents a fleet of electric multiple unit trains constructed by Alstom specifically for West Midlands Trains. This collection consists of two variants: 48 units with three cars each and 36 units comprising five cars.

History

In October 2017, West Midlands Trains was awarded the franchise to operate local rail services throughout Birmingham and the surrounding West Midlands area, including suburban lines to , as well as longer-distance inter-urban routes originating from both Euston and . Upon receiving the franchise, the company pledged a £680 million investment to procure over 100 new trains aimed at replacing outdated rolling stock and upgrading its fleet.

Within this procurement, 81 electric multiple units (EMUs) were commissioned from Bombardier Transportation’s Aventra series, manufactured at the Derby Litchurch Lane Works facility. The inaugural train was publicly revealed in September 2020.

In 2022, the initial order was adjusted to expand the number of three-car units, resulting in a total of 48 three-car and 36 five-car trains—reduced from the original plan which included 36 three-car Class 730/0 units and a combined 45 five-car Class 730/1 and Class 730/2 units—yielding an aggregate of 324 vehicles distributed over 84 units.

Testing and introduction into service

The Class 730/0 series commenced passenger operations on 13 November 2023, marking the second new train type introduced by West Midlands Trains following the launch of the on 17 October 2022.

Their rollout on the Cross-City line throughout 2024 allows for the retirement of units, with seventeen cascaded to Northern Trains. Additionally, this facilitates the replacement of older units across West Midlands Trains' network.

Prior to entering service, Class 730 trains underwent rigorous testing both at the Velim railway test circuit in the Czech Republic and within UK boundaries. Testing on routes operated by West Midlands Trains began in March 2021, and by February 2022, all 36 Class 730/0 trains had obtained service authorization from the Office of Rail and Road.

Currently, the three-car Class 730 units are deployed on West Coast Main Line services from London, enabling withdrawal of s. The initial three-car unit started carrying passengers on Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Walsall routes in February 2024, with subsequent introduction to Cross-City Line services scheduled for spring. The first pair of Class 730 trains commenced operation on the Cross-City Line on 15 April 2024.

Maintenance of the three-car Class 730/0 units is conducted at Soho Depot in Birmingham, which also services the fleet, while upkeep for five-car Class 730/2 units takes place at Bletchley Depot in Milton Keynes. Initially, plans had designated Bescot Depot in Walsall for their maintenance.

The debut of Class 730/2 trains into service occurred on 9 June 2025.

Fleet details

The Class 730 series is divided into two groups tailored for different operational roles. The three-car Class 730/0 models, designed for use on the Cross-City Line and local Birmingham routes, reach speeds up to , and were introduced to double passenger capacity along these lines. Meanwhile, the five-car Class 730/2 variants serve outer suburban and long-distance LNR routes with maximum speeds reaching .

Subclass	Operator	Qty.	Year built	Cars per unit	Unit nos.
730/0	London Northwestern Railway West Midlands Railway	48	2020–2024	3	730001–730048
730/2	London Northwestern Railway	36	2020–2024	5	730201–730236

Named Units

The entire fleet of 48 West Midlands Railway Class 730/0 trains, referred to as the Landmark Class,, carries names inspired by significant sites throughout the West Midlands area.

Number	Name	Notes
730018	Hurst Street	This was the inaugural unit to receive an official name on 23 May 2024 in celebration of Birmingham Pride. It showcases a pride-themed paint scheme incorporating a subtle diamond pattern.