Transport for Wales (train operating company)
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Overview | |
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Franchise(s) |
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Main region(s) | Wales |
Other region(s) | |
Predecessor | Arriva Trains Wales |
Parent company | |
Website | www.tfwrail.wales, www.keolisamey.cymru |
Technical | |
Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
Transport for Wales Rail (Welsh: Trafnidiaeth Cymru), or TfW Rail (Welsh: TrC Trenau, literally TfW Trains)[1], known locally as Rails Wales, is the brand name for a train operating company operated by KeolisAmey Wales Cymru,[2] which commenced operating the Wales & Borders franchise on 14 October 2018.
History
In October 2016 Abellio, the incumbent operator Arriva, a Keolis/Amey joint venture and MTR Corporation were shortlisted to bid for the next Wales & Borders franchise.[3][4]
In October 2017, Arriva withdrew from the bidding process, followed in February 2018 by Abellio, after the collapse of its partner Carillion.[5][6][7][8] In May 2018, the franchise was awarded to KeolisAmey Wales. It commenced on 14 October 2018 and runs for 15 years.[9]
Unlike the previous franchise, which was awarded by the Department for Transport, the new franchise was awarded by Transport for Wales.[4]
Improvements
There are plans to improve services between 2018 and 2033 as part of the new franchise:[10][11]
- Introduce new two and three-car new diesel multiple units for Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly service by 2023
- Twelve refurbished Mark 4 carriages for the Holyhead to Cardiff Central Premier Service
- Invest in Chester station by 2028
- Increase Wrexham Central to Bidston services to 2tph by December 2021 as part of the North East Wales Metro
- Introduction of a new hourly Liverpool Lime Street to Chester service from December 2018
- Introduction of a new hourly Liverpool to Llandudno and Shrewsbury service from December 2022
- Introduction of a new two-hourly Liverpool to Cardiff Central service from December 2022
- Introduction of a direct Manchester Airport to Bangor service from December 2022
- Hourly Cheltenham Spa to Cardiff services from December 2022
- New DMUs on the Cambrian line during 2022 to replace the Class 158 Express Sprinters
- Refurbished Class 170 Turbostar two-car DMUs on the Heart of Wales line by 2022
- Invest in Carmarthen and Machynlleth stations in 2021, and Llanelli station in 2025
- Provide ticket machines at more stations
- Introduce a new Community Rail Partnership for the West Wales line
- A consistent 1 tph on the Cambrian line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth
- An additional service every day on the Heart of Wales line from December 2022
- Additional summer Sunday services from May 2023 between Tywyn and Pwllheli – including a new 1 tph express service between major centres by 2025
- A first-class service between Swansea and Manchester from December 2024
- Replace all Class 142 and 143 Pacers by the end of 2019
- Introduce a Central Metro that improves journey times and increases frequency to at least four trains per hour from the head of each Valley line using new trains
- Introduce pay-as-you-go for users of smartcards by April 2020
- Eliminate diesel use on the Central Metro lines (north of Cardiff Queen Street) by 2024.
- Provide ticket machines at all South Wales Metro stations by April 2019
- Build new stations at Loudon Square, Crwys Road and The Flourish by December 2023 and Gabalfa by 2028 and relocate Treforest Estate station by December 2025
- Introduction of new tri-mode trains between Penarth, Barry and Bridgend to destinations north of Cardiff Central
- A new 1 train per hour (tph) Ebbw Vale Town to Newport service from May 2021.
- 2tph between Cardiff and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan Line from December 2023
- 4tph throughout on the Rhymney line from December 2023
- 4tph to Treherbert from December 2022
- 6tph to Cardiff Bay from December 2022
- 4tph between Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Cardiff from December 2022
- 4tph between Cardiff and Bridgend (direct, Monday to Saturday) from December 2019
- Introduce the new fleet of diesel multiple units (DMUs) to the North Wales Coast line in 2022
- Invest in Shotton and Wrexham General stations from April 2024
- Invest to co-fund new station buildings at Blaenau Ffestiniog
Rolling stock
TfW Rail inherited a fleet of Class 142, 143, 150, 153, 158 and 175 diesel multiple units and Mark 3 carriages from Arriva Trains Wales.
Current fleet
Class | Image | Type | Top Speed | Carriages | Number | Routes Operated | Built | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mph | kph | |||||||
Locomotive hauled stock | ||||||||
67 | Loco | 125 | 200 | – | 3 | Premier Service: Holyhead–Cardiff Central
|
1999–00 | |
Mark 3 | Coach | 12 | 1975–88 | |||||
DVT | 3 | 1988 | ||||||
Diesel multiple units | ||||||||
142 Pacer | DMU | 75 | 121 | 2 | 15 | Valley Lines & Cardiff local routes | 1985–87 | |
143 Pacer | DMU | 75 | 121 | 2 | 15 | Valley lines & Cardiff local routes | 1985–86 | |
150/2 Sprinter | DMU | 75 | 121 | 2 | 36 |
|
1986–87 | |
153 Super Sprinter | DMU | 75 | 121 | 1 | 8 |
|
1987–88 | |
158/0 Express Sprinter | DMU | 90 | 140 | 2 | 24 |
|
1990–91 | |
175/0 & 175/1 Coradia | DMU | 100 | 161 | 2 | 11 | Regional services between North West England, North and South Wales | 1999–01 | |
3 | 16 | |||||||
Future fleet
All of TfW Rail's current fleet is due to be replaced by 2023 (with the exception of the class 67 locomotives), with half of the new trains due to be manufactured by CAF at its Llanwern factory.[12]
A total of 77 CAF Civity diesel multiple units are to be built. There will also be a number of cascaded diesel multiple units joining the fleet, with five Class 153s from Great Western Railway (these being on a short term basis only) and twelve Class 170/2s from Greater Anglia.[13]
Also, a total of 35 Stadler FLIRT units have been ordered; 24 tri-modes and eleven diesel-electrics. Thirty-six three-car Stadler Citylink tram-trains have also been ordered.[13]
Five Class 230 units have also been ordered from Vivarail, whilst twelve Mark 4 carriages are to join the fleet from London North Eastern Railway after being refurbished.[13]
Class | Image | Type | Top Speed | Carriages | Number | Routes Operated | Built | In Service | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mph | kph | ||||||||
Locomotive hauled stock | |||||||||
Mark 4 | Coach | 140 | 225 | – | 12 | Services between North and South Wales[14] | 1989–92 | 2019 | |
Diesel multiple units | |||||||||
153 Super Sprinter[15] | DMU | 75 | 121 | 1 | 5 | Rural routes in West Wales[13] | 1987–88 | 2019 | |
170/2 Turbostar[10] | DMU | 100 | 161 | 2 | 4 |
|
1999–02 | 2019 | |
3 | 8 | ||||||||
TBC Civity[16] | DMU | TBC | TBC | 2 | 51 | TBC | 2021–23 | ||
3 | 26 | ||||||||
Diesel-electric multiple units | |||||||||
230 D-Train[15] | DEMU | 60 | 97 | 3 | 5 | Conwy Valley line, Borderlands line, Chester-Crewe[17][18] | TBC | 2019 | |
TBC FLIRT | DEMU | TBC | TBC | 4 | 11 | Services in South East Wales | TBC | 2022 | |
Bi-mode multiple units | |||||||||
769 Flex | BMU | TBC | TBC | 4 | 5 | To be confirmed | TBC | TBC[nb 1] | |
Tri-mode multiple units[11] | |||||||||
TBC FLIRT | TMU | TBC | TBC | 3 | 7 | Services between Rhymney/Coryton to Penarth/Barry Island/Bridgend via VoG[13] | TBC | 2023 | |
4 | 17 | ||||||||
Tram-trains | |||||||||
TBC Citylink | Tram-train | TBC | TBC | 3 | 36 | Services to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil[11] | TBC | 2022–23 | |
Notes
- ↑ Class 319/4 units were initially built between 1987 and 1988
References
- ↑ "Tweet by Transport for Wales (@transport_wales)". Twitter (in Welsh). Retrieved 2 October 2018.
Bydd yr ap TrC Trenau ar gael i’w lawrlwytho maes o lawr ar iOS ac Android.
- ↑ "Terms of Use". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
Keolis Amey Operations/Gweithrediadau Keolis Amey Limited (trading as Transport for Wales Rail Services)
- ↑ "Rail operator shortlist revealed" (Press release). Welsh Government. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
Four bidders have been selected to progress to the next stage in the procurement process to operate rail services in Wales and the Borders from October 2018 as well take forward key aspects of the next stage of Metro.
- 1 2 "Wales & Borders bidders asked to propose Metro options". Railway Gazette International. Sutton: DVV Media Group. 13 October 2016. ISSN 0373-5346. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ "Arriva pulls out of Wales & Borders franchise contest". International Railway Journal. Falmouth: Simmons-Boardman Publishing. 30 October 2017. ISSN 0744-5326.
- ↑ "Arriva Trains Wales drops out of Welsh rail franchise bid". BBC News. BBC. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
The firm that runs most of Wales' rail network has pulled out of the contest to continue running it from 2018. Arriva has said Arriva Trains Wales was "no longer participating in the Wales and Borders competition", adding it had "not been an easy decision".
- ↑ "Abellio ends rail bid after Carillion collapse". BBC News. BBC. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
One of the three remaining bidders for the next Wales and Borders rail franchise has pulled out. Abellio Rail Cymru (ARC) said it had been unable to overcome the collapse of its partner construction company, Carillion. Its exit from the process leaves just MTR and KeolisAmey bidding to run the franchise, which will operate the South Wales Metro.
- ↑ "Abellio pulls out of Wales & Borders bidding". International Railway Journal. Falmouth: Simmons-Boardman Publishing. 23 February 2018. ISSN 0744-5326.
- ↑ "Wales' rail and metro franchise to be run by KeolisAmey". BBC News. BBC. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
A £5bn contract to run Wales' rail service for the next 15 years has been awarded to two European firms, who will run it jointly. France's Keolis and Spanish-owned Amey's bid triumphed over a rival offer from Hong Kong's MTR commuter railways. It will also drive forward the south Wales Metro in Cardiff and the valleys.
- 1 2 3 "What this means for Mid and South West Wales". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 "What's Happening In South East Wales". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Barry, Sion (4 June 2018). "How Wales' railways will be transformed with new stations, trains and jobs through investment worth billions". WalesOnline. Cardiff: Reach. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "AMs WB Overview Presentation vJP AM" (PDF). KeolisAmey Wales. KeolisAmey Wales. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- 1 2 "What's Happening in North Wales". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- 1 2 "Service Improvements" (PDF). Transport for Wales. Welsh Government. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ↑ "KeolisAmey reveal new-look Wales trains and services". BBC News. BBC. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ↑ "Vivarail Class 230s for Wales". Railways Illustrated. No. 187. Key Publishing. September 2018. p. 13. ISSN 1479-2230.
- ↑ "Vivarail announce new order for Wales and Borders". 7 June 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
Preceded by Arriva Trains Wales |
Operator of Wales & Borders franchise 2018 - 2033 |
Succeeded by incumbent |