Farewell to the 'Bubble Cars'

Chiltern Railways line 'Bubble cars' set to make their last trip in May

The affectionately named ‘Bubble Cars’, that run on the Chiltern Railways line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury, are due to make their last journey on the Chiltern Railways route on Friday 19 May.

First brought into service in Britain in 1960, the two heritage class 121 trains were purchased by Chiltern Railways in 2003 and have serviced the 18-minute journey from Princes Risborough to Monks Risborough, Little Kimble and Aylesbury ever since.
As single carriage trains, they are recognisable for their small size and open environment allowing customers to see ahead through the front windows of the train.

Famed for being the last remaining trains in service that use vacuum brakes, the time has come where the ongoing maintenance of these classic trains is increasing and the decision has been to take them out of service.

Both trains will be on sale following their retirement and the number of services running daily across the route will remain unchanged.

Matthew Prosser, Engineering Director at Chiltern Railways says:
“We will be sad to see these trains go has they are a part of railway history and some customers even make special journeys to travel on them. However, the changes are necessary due to the age of the vehicles and we will ultimately be providing a more comfortable service for our customers.”

A small farewell will be held on the last day of the service for the Bubble Cars. Details will be announced in due course.