Hopes for ‘Geralds’ to be reintroduced in 2021

In my review of the December 2019 National Rail Timetable ( RAIL 897) - the last review I was able to undertake - I said it was hoped that two additional return locomotive-hauled journeys would be added by Transport for Wales (TfW) to the time-honoured existing Holyhead-Cardiff service.

Consisting of Mk 4 stock from LNER, under the Table 75 entry I explained that these would give high-quality services, each with a restaurant car, at 0702, 1124 & 1716 from Cardiff Central and 0534, 1134 and 1651 from Holyhead.

However, in one of those ‘famous last words’ phrases, I added: “At present not all the Mk 4 stock required is available and so one of these might remain a diesel unit for a while.”

COVID-19 had other ideas! In fact, within a few months the existing pair of ‘Geralds’ - so called because they were originally named ‘Y Gerallt Gymro’ (Gerald of Wales) - had been withdrawn owing to lockdown and the bar on on-train dining.

It was hoped that they would return in December. But as they didn’t, I asked TfW for an update. My contact said: “Unfortunately, the impact of COVID-19 and the switch from Mk 3 to Mk 4 stock came at a rather unfortunate time. Mk 4 training has now started, but it was not possible to reinstate any ‘Geralds’ in December.”

He explained that Mk 3 sets have all gone offlease and that the Mk 4 replacements avoided the huge costs of conversion under ‘Passengers of Restricted Mobility’ (PRM) regulations. However, he added: “Actually the Mk 3s were in a bad way, too, and would have required a lot of remedial work in addition to PRM.”

It seems, though, that TfW still hopes to introduce the ‘Geralds’ - or at least some of them - from May 2021 and possibly before, although they’ll only regain their restaurants once the Welsh Government’s rules regarding food on trains is relaxed.