Carmarthen schoolchildren name new train to mark Class 197 fleet launch on West Wales routes

Named as part of TfW’s Magnificent Train Journey competition, the name ‘Carew Castle Express’ was chosen by year 5 pupil Rhys Protheroe from Johnstown Primary School in Carmarthen.

Rhys and other children from the school were invited to Carmarthen Railway Station on Thursday (16 November) to see the winning name on the side of one of TfW’s brand new Class 197 trains.

TfW say the Class 197s that have recently been introduced between Swansea and Carmarthen, offer greater capacity and enhanced on-board comfort. They say that work is progressing to introduce the trains further west to Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour, which is expected to be completed later this year.

Soon every service west of Carmarthen will be on one of the brand-new trains.

Alexia Course, Chief Commercial Officer for TfW, said: “We’re excited to be running our brand-new trains in West Wales and we’re adding more to our network every few weeks.

“The new trains really transform the customer experience and as we add more to our network, we’re building resilience and seeing an improvement in our performance.

“We’re delighted to be able to invite one of our Magnificent Train Journey competition winners along to see their chosen name on the train and help inspire the next generation of travellers to chose public transport.”

As part of an £800 million investment into new trains, TfW first introduced the Class 197s to the Wales and borders network at the start of this year.

Over the coming months and throughout next year, TfW say they will continue adding new trains to their network, with 37 Class 197s already delivered and another 40 to come.

CAF UK Director Richard Garner commented: “CAF are extremely proud to play a key role in delivering TfW’s commitment to transform rail travel for passengers, ensuring a high quality, reliable and comfortable journey.”

“As a local employer we are invested in providing highly skilled jobs at our Newport, South Wales factory to support local employment opportunities whilst focusing on sustainability issues and addressing the needs of the Welsh economy. Today’s unveiling of the ‘Carw Castle Express’ as named by a local schoolchild further strengthens this relationship with the Welsh communities.”

TfW say the Class 197 will run throughout the length and breadth of the network and will become the backbone of TfW mainline services. On the South Wales Metro in Cardiff and the Valleys, 60 new trains and tram trains will be introduced from 2024 onwards which TfW say will complete the transformation of its fleet.

(Lead image: TfW)