Chilternrailways Reviews 

You’re a joke of a rail line! How can MK have a faster train than Aylesbury in to London! Always packed out, trains are 30 years old and you charge an arm and a leg to get to London! You’re a mess and sort it out absolutely sick of it! Grow up and make a fast train from Aylesbury!!!! And stop messing around

The service generally seems ok and there always seems to be lots of staff around with the Chiltern logo clothing to ask questions too however the majority seem clueless about the move to ticketless booking or how their systems work - there was a group of 2 ppl talking from Chiltern who said they didn’t even know Chiltern had an app or anything about smart cards when I asked for assistance. Also when I called the helpline I was called back only to be then transferred to another team who wasn’t current open so no help there also. They seem to have the ppl but clearly training is missing.

Used the Oxford parkway part and ride today and caught the train into Oxford. Using the ticket machine it came up with an any day single price much higher the Chiltern Railway website. I challenged this with a member of staff - Sean Dawson. He couldn’t have been more helpful and found tickets for our group that represented the best value and I found his manner attitude and genuine desire to assist a refreshing change, and he is a credit to Chiltern railways.

I am pretty disgusted that Chiltern is refusing to compensate for strike action taken by ASLEF. Having booked a day return to Stratford upon Avon that I was subsequently unable to use owing to the strike, the company is refusing to reimburse the ticket on grounds it was bought through a third party website. This is fraud on a grand scale but typical of the state of UK railways now which wriggle out of paying any compensation.

I went to the recent England game v Brazil at Wembley (23rd March) travelling from Denham to Wembley Stadium with a friend in a wheel chair.

On arrival at Wembley we enquired about queueing after the game with a wheelchair and use of the lift at the station.

We were fortunate to ask Guy Watts, and employee of Chiltern Railways (the station controller / manager) who couldn't have been more helpful. What a star. He advised of train timings, to look out for him, where to queue etc.

When we arrived after the game he met us, took us down in the lift, told us where to stand for the wheelchair access, collected a ramp for the wheelchair, phoned ahead to the train to advise that we would be using a ramp and then helped us get our friend on to the train. An absolute star. Guy Watts. Thank you

As an independent company for 25 years, led by Adrian Shooter, and backed by private capital from 3i, this was the No.1 rail line in mainland Britain.

Since, the badly-named, Arriva took over it has slumped markedly. Shabby, overcrowded, dirty carriages and lack of investment all evident in 3 trips in April 2024. All the cash has gone into the eco-disaster HS2. The UK government stand idly by….mediocrity is their mantra it seems.

Time for an overhaul. We know how really good Chiltern Rail can be if run properly.

It's great that all the helpful and smiling staff are still employed at the ticket office (High Wycombe). Many people, myself included appreciate their stay of execution and long may it remain.

There was a drunk lady who was drinking a whole bottle of champagne and was swearing so I asked her to lower her voice but she carried on and started threatening me and telling me to fight outside and to leave the train and she was with 2 other boys who where taking the mickey

Absolutely useless, no extra trains to Oxford. Constant misinformation and announcements basically saying you're gonna miss the next train and the wait is around 2 hours. Never again. If CR add a comment, believe me it's not genuine as their CS have no interest in listening to anybody.

I left my bag on the train today.I spoke to the clerk at the station.
I couldn't thank her enough for helping me to get my bag back.
While waiting for news of my bag, she made me a coffee also gave me a bottle of water and some biscuits.
Also contacted me later on to tell me where my bag has been left for me to pick up tomorrow.

When I arrived at Solihull station I found that the 14:54pm train to London Marylebone was cancelled, so I sat on the platform for an hour waiting for the next train. The 15:54pm train got as far as Warwick Parkway, when we were told there was a problem, and it had to crawl to Leamington Spa, I could have walked quicker. We were then told the windscreen wipers were broken, so we were off loaded (by the way it was not even raining). I then had to wait for the third train of the day which was the 16:49pm which was overcrowded, and I had to stand all the way to London, I am 63. I arrived 2.45 hours later at 18:26pm instead of 16:46pm. I put a complaint to Chilternrailways, and requested a refund. Chilternrailways have given me a derisory £12 refund, and do not seem particularly bothered by what happened!

Over hour journey and standing room only. Rubbish for a 30 quid ticket. Put an extra carriage or two on you tight ar5es. Should have took the car like I usually do.

Booked ticket day before travel. Checked Chiltern website showing disruption but hourly trains.
Arrived at Station to travel to find trains cancelled at 10.09pm night before without warning for bus replacement service to Amersham leaving 20 minutes after my train should have and arriving at Amersham 20minutes after my train should have arrived in Marylebone and I paid £42.50 for the privilege as well as the taxi fare to catch a non existent train
This company is becoming a shambles with its last minute changes and cancellations and lack of putting enough carriages on trains to cope with the volume of passengers

After reading these afwul reviews I was reluctant to book a ticket at Chiltern railways, but it was so much cheaper that I took the risk. An adult and a child ticket for 8 pounds from London to Oxford. I was surprised about everything. The train was on time, we had very spacious seats with a table, no overcrowding. It was clean and it went as planned. Thank you Chiltern Railways!

Caught the 09:17 train from Banbury to London Marylebone this morning, and to say the train was overcrowded is a drastic understatement. We stood the entire way - literally packed in like sardines. There was absolutely no air circulating, leading to numerous standing passengers feeling faint (including my daughter) and needing to try and sit on the floor (nigh impossible due to lack of space) to stop from falling over.
Considering it was the first train leaving after the morning rush hour (so cheaper tickets) and being half term holidays, only providing 4 carriages was unbelievably bad planning on Chiltern Railways part.
Do better!

A Disgraceful decline in the train services in UK overall but this company seems to be the worst. Over crowded, late and canceled trains has become the norm and no one seems to care anymore. It’s like a third world country. A depressing reality when compared to the services in the majority of the European countries where trains are far more civilised, modern, fast and far CHEAPER.

It seems Chiltern Railways use the threat of strikes to cancel all their trains on the Aylesbury-Marylebone line. Even when the strike is cancelled they reinstate the trains but don’t have them stopping at most of the stations. It used to be a very well run company but is now pretty terrible with many cancellations and much overcrowding.

First time taking chiltern railway from London to Oxford.
Last minute cheap ticket was convenient but the trains definitely need a good update and hygiene wise enormous improvements to be made !
What are we paying our taxes for ? !!

Price all right considering it was last minute as a result of disruption with a different company

10.02 on the 28th out of Marylebone . Ran with 68010 set AL01 . Great seats . Announcements explaining that towards the front , the toilet is broken . On some other trains that would actually be a problem but these are walk through so for most , simple , just walk through. I looked at the accessible one near the end of the journey (think we'd just left Dorridge , around 100 miles from London) . Was clean and everything .

Note that boarding in Leamington Spa / Warwick was absolute chaos . I think extra dwell time at Leamington Spa is needed , even if this means some calls have to be removed on this departure .

I also found all staff to be polite and friendly

EDIT: This ride ended up being free because another train company cancelled onward trains .(isn't Chiltern's fault!)

I am buying London to High Wycombe tickets for more than 5 years.
No matter what time I choose for the ticket, I was always able to travel before or after that time.
Now, when tried to scan the digital ticket to go to the platform, it did not work. Well, I thought something is wrong with the app or with their scanner.
Nothing wrong with the scanner, but with my bloody ticket. The staff told me my ticket is for 09:30. I said I know that but as mentioned previously, it never mattered the time on the ticket with the time of boarding.
The timetable apparently has changed and can’t travel before 09:30.
Tried to change the time from the app. This was one hour before- 08:15
Could not.
Then I asked another member of staff which told me to go to the ticket office.
I was told I have to pay £5 extra to change the ticket time !!!!!!!! Why ???? Why can’t I change it from the app? That’s why there is an option there.
What’s the point of having a railcard for cheaper tickets if you are asked to pay extra cause of their new timetable???
What on earth is that ?

Plus, I could have wait, no problem, but I was going to see my mum which she is in the hospital- mentioned this twice. Nobody gave a damn.

Never had any issues with Chiltern until today.