Transport for Wales are investing £800m on new Class 197 trains, set to operate throughout their network, entering services in North Wales before the end of the year.
The first of these new locomotives was unveiled to the public recently, brandishing a ‘made in Wales’ tag, encouraging support, and promoting Welsh innovation. The public can look froward to enhanced capacity, a reduction in carbon emissions and improvements to ergonomic comfort whilst commuting. The rolling stock will also enable a maximised line capacity due to faster and more frequent services, creating availability for passenger travel, especially to destinations such as Holyhead, Fishguard and Liverpool.
The new trains are set to drastically improve the customer experience throughout the Welsh rail sector, offering innovations around passenger comfort, whilst also creating more accessibility for less abled travellers through the inclusion of disability features. The transformative designs are also set to incorporate electronic charging points to reduce the carbon usage along the lines.
Cllr David A Bithell, Deputy Leader with responsibility for strategic transport, said:
“I welcomed the opportunity to see first-hand these very impressive trains.
“It’s great to see such investment in Wales and to see such commitment to upgrading services for customers across Wales and the borders by Transport for Wales.
“I’m sure passengers will appreciate the improvements when they come into service in the area later in the year.”
Alexia Course, TfW’s Director of Transport Operations, said:
“At Transport for Wales we’re continually moving forward with our transformational plans to improve public transport for the people of Wales and the borders.
“The Class 197s on show at Chester railway station today will be an important part of the transformation of the Wales and Borders network, and when they enter service, they will enable us to run more services and carry more customers in comfort.
“The construction of our new trains has been four years in the making, and customers and colleagues are incredibly excited to welcome passengers onto them from later this year.
“It’s also important to recognise that these trains have been made in Wales at the CAF factory in Newport and the building of them has provided jobs and supported the local economy.”
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