Today marks a historic day for the Welsh rail sector, seeing the introduction of the first battery-hybrid trains used in regular passenger service on the Borderlands Line between Wrexham and Bidston, as announced by Transport for Wales (TfW).
The inaugural service for the Class 230 trains left Wrexham Central at 07:31, following months of testing and crew training.
TfW currently own five three-carriage Class 230 trains, with each one hosting over 120 seats with capacity for over 420 customers, representing a major increase over the previous rolling stock fleet.
The metro-style units have been repurposed from former London Underground trains, supplying passengers with more efficient and environmentally sustainable services, with the bi-modal fleet utilising both diesel and batteries to power the journeys.
The Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters said:
“This is great news. Funded by our £800m investment in a new fleet of trains, the Class 230s play an important part in our plans to transform rail services in Wales. These new trains will offer greater comfort, and modern facilities and with the new hybrid engines will be better for the environment.”
The improvements to the passenger experience throughout journeys will be accentuated through the integration of fully accessible toilets, power sockets, electronic passenger information, Wi-Fi, bike racks and air conditioning, thus transforming the ease and comfort of those travelling across the Welsh network.
Alexia Course, Transport for Wales’ Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“We’re delighted that the first Class 230 train has entered service. With hybrid engines and modern facilities, these trains will significantly improve the customer experience on the Borderlands Line by providing better facilities and increased capacity.
“We’re committed to improving services between North Wales and the Liverpool City Region. We’ve already introduced brand new trains on services between Chester and Liverpool, and we’re planning to increase the frequency of services between Wrexham and Bidston, as well as providing a new direct service between Llandudno and Liverpool via the North Wales coast.”
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