TfW acclaims a year of progress on rolling stock
TRANSPORT of Wales spent almost £350 million last year subsidising the nation’s rail services, and the same amount investing in new rolling stock, depot and station improvements, as well as preparing for the electrified Core Valleys network.
TfW’s annual report for the 12 months up the end of March 2022, published on August 9, reveals just how hard the Welsh transport network was hit by COVID. It also reveals that the introduction of several new flagship services is well behind schedule.
Chairman Scott Waddington reported on “another year of significant change as the Coronavirus pandemic continued to test our resilience and challenge our thinking”.
Waddington was referring to the £348m operating costs, compared with a deficit of just £29,732 in 2020-21. Nevertheless, the not-for-profit organisation, which is wholly owned by the Welsh Government, is committed to pumping large sums of money into the 248-station system.
The report says that evidence of change is everywhere to see, with new rolling stock now beginning to appear in some numbers, and most of the older stock refurbished and in the new TfW livery.
TfW says there was an 80% return to normal service levels by May 2021, compared with two years previously. And while only 65% of passengers initially returned, business is on the way to a near-full recovery.
The late-running 105-mile Core Valleys scheme (Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Coryton, Rhymney and Cwmbargoed) scheme has £167m of its costs in the accounts, for electrification, resignalling and opening two new stations. Last autumn, the first overhead masts were installed between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd.
The target dates for new TfW services make less good reading. While the Cardiff-Cheltenham and Heart of Wales Line allstations hourly trains will start in December (as originally planned), the new Llandudno-Liverpool and Llandudno-Manchester Airport new hourly timetable will not start until December 2023.
The Aberystwyth-Shrewsbury hourly all-stations service is put back further to May 2024, and the date for the Cardiff extension of the hourly service from Liverpool and Shrewsbury is set back to December 2024.
TfW says the big landmarks of 2021 were the withdrawal of the final 15 Class 143 Pacer diesel multiple units and the purchase of Pullman Rail (Cardiff Canton depot) from Colas. It has refurbished all its Class 153s, ‘158s’ and ‘175s’ and half of its ‘150s’, introduced converted Class 769s, and all its trains are now accessibility compliant.
The first ex-East Coast Mk 4 rakes hauled by Class 67s are operational on the HolyheadCardiff route, with three services each way on weekdays. Vivarail Class 230s maintained at Birkenhead North depot should soon be ready for the WrexhamBidston line.
On brand new stock, TfW reports that the first of 24 Stadler FLIRT Class 756 tri-mode units has completed its static testing and initial battery power and test track running. It expects delivery in November 2022, for introduction on the Core Valleys lines next year.
Testing has been completed in Valencia on the first of the 36 Stadler Class 398 bi-mode City Link units, while production of the Class 197 CAF DMUs is admitted to be behind schedule. Network and train crew training has started on the few units made available by the manufacturer.
Some 33 improvements have been carried out at TfW’s 248 stations, including upgrading Cardiff General, Swansea, Bridgend, Dovey Junction, Machynlleth and Wrexham General, with work due to start at Chester, Flint and Runcorn East.