Rail in the Wales and the West conference
TRANSPORT FOR Wales has ambitious fleet plans to transform services across the Wales and Borders franchise, outlined by TfW’s Rolling Stock Manager Andrew Gainsbury.
New and cascaded fleets are being introduced across the network and play a pivotal role in the South Wales Metro. The Core Valley Lines north of Cardiff are now in TfW ownership, and a combination of smart electrification and battery operation by new Stadler fleets will eliminate diesel operation on these routes, with more frequent services including four trains per hour to the tops of the Valleys.
The cascaded fleets have largely been introduced to mitigate compliance with Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) regulations and to replace Pacers and the Mk 3 loco-hauled stock. Already in service are 12 Class 170s cascaded from Greater Anglia, working Maesteg, Cheltenham and Ebbw Vale services. TfW is now introducing nine Class 769s from Porterbrook, and after some delay this programme is making good progress. These are dedicated to the Rhymney to Penarth route and are performing well; the impact of Covid restrictions on crew training is now the main limiting factor to introducing more units, but the …
