Revealed – new look for Welsh trains
A FLEET of old London Underground trains are set to receive a new lease of life on Welsh railway lines.
Plans have been unveiled for a flagship fleet which will see former District line Tube trains gutted and updated to be used in Wales as soon as next summer.
The trains, which are taken from London Underground D78 stock, will feature wifi, USB ports, plug sockets and extra space for bikes and luggage and can run on both diesel and battery.
But they will be upcycled from the bodyshells of trains originally made in the 1980s and installed with a new motor.
Last month global passenger transport company KeolisAmey was named as the winner of the multi-million-pound Wales and Borders rail franchise.
Replacing Arriva Trains Wales in the biggest ever contract awarded in Wales, the company will also take over and deliver the next phase of the Metro project.
Now images of the company’s newest hybrid trains have been released following the decision to name English train manufacturer Vivarail the preferred bidder for the work.
Under plans announced yesterday the fleet of Class 230 D-Trains will come into service as part of the franchise across three routes – Wrexham to Bidston, Conwy Valley, and Chester to Crewe. The fleet of five three-car trains will boast features including universal toilets, air conditioning, and a “new seating layout”.
Adrian Shooter, CEO of Vivarail, said: “This is a very exciting day for us and we are proud to be supplying the first of the new trains for Wales.
“We know that KeolisAmey want to bring the best new trains to their passengers so our interior layout has been designed to do exactly that.
“As well as the wide and spacious carriages the trains will have a universal access toilet, wifi, air conditioning, USB ports and three-pin sockets.
“There will be a range of seating layouts and plenty of space for bikes and luggage. With KeolisAmey we have been determined to give passengers the very best travelling experience and the trains they deserve: modern, comfortable, reliable and environmentally friendly.”
Design and building of the trains is already under way at Vivarail’s two sites and orders have been placed with the leading supplier of universal access toilets based in Cwmbran.
The fleet of five trains will move to Wales for final testing and commissioning early next year.
Colin Lea, mobilisation director of KeolisAmey Wales Cymru, said: “We are proud to announce that KeolisAmey and Vivarail will provide a step-change in passenger comfort and service quality on three routes by introducing these units, fitted with the latest passenger comfort appliances such as power supply at all seats, high-speed wifi, air-cooling, bike spaces, and a brand new seating layout reflecting the needs of the passengers on these routes.
“In addition these innovative hybrid trains, fitted with state-of-the-art monitoring systems, will provide a significant change in performance and reliability, helping KeolisAmey to deliver a more reliable service for its customers.”
The announcement follows a decision to lock toilets on many of Wales’ old Pacer Trains – with upgrading them to meet modern disability requirements deemed “too expensive”.