Brand-new trains have arrived in Wales that Transport for Wales say will herald a new era of transformational train travel – including more capacity and improved services
TfW is investing £800 million in new trains for the Wales and borders network – with the first two brand new trains from train manufacturer Stadler being delivered to the TfW depot at Canton, in Cardiff, for testing.
The new Class 231 FLIRT trains arrived in Wales from Switzerland and are the first of 35 to be delivered over the next 24 months from Stadler.
The FLIRTs will be a key part of the South Wales Metro, the three quarters of billion-pound transformational project being delivered by TfW, providing more capacity and more frequent services that will be greener for the environment.
Through working with train manufacturers Stadler and CAF, TfW is investing a total of £800 million into brand new trains that will begin to run on the network for customers next year.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change said: “The new vehicles are a transformational improvement on the trains that they will be replacing across South Wales offering greater capacity, more frequent services with improved facilities encouraging people to leave their cars behind and move onto a more sustainable form of transport.
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO said: “The arrival of these brand-new trains is another major milestone for TfW and signifies another step forward on our transformational programme to deliver a transport network that the people of Wales can be proud of.
“We’re investing £800 million into new trains that will provide more capacity on our network, they will have more and improved seating, provide air conditioning, power sockets and passenger information screens with up-to-the- minute travel information. The customer is at the heart of our planning at TfW and these trains will have more space for bikes, people with limited mobility and pushchairs.
“People will now start to see some of our new trains being tested on our network and we’re looking forward to seeing the first new units enter service for customers next year.”
Sandro Muster, Project Manager for Stadler, said: “The arrival of the first unit in Cardiff is a momentous occasion for everyone involved in the project. Not only Stadler, but our client, Transport for Wales, and above all, the people who will soon be travelling on them. Passengers will notice a massive difference in the ride quality, the comfort and the attention to detail.
“We will now embark on an extensive programme of testing to ensure that they are ready for commercial service. Every aspect of the train, from their on-board features to energy consumption trials, noise levels and signalling, will be scrutinised rigorously.”
(Lead image: Transport for Wales)
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