New Wales and Borders Franchise

[TangerineWizards]

The full details of the new franchise have been announced today. It looks to be branded 'Transport for Wales'.

 

Some very interesting pledges and finally some detail on what the North Wales Metro might look like as well as the promise of more new trains (refurbished metro trains = D Class?).

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44316772

 

 

Announcement highlights and what it all means:

• All trains will be replaced and 95% of journeys will be on 148 brand new trains by 2023
• Half of all new trains will be assembled in Wales
• £1.9bn has been committed to improving passengers' travel experience, including £800m invested in trains to boost overall service capacity by 65%
• £194m has been pledged to modernise Wales' 247 stations
• There will be four Cardiff stations for the new Metro light rail: they will be at Gabalfa, Crwys Road, Loudoun Square and The Flourish in Cardiff Bay - and provide the capital's first on-street tramway for 70 years by 2023
• An additional 600 staff will be recruited to the existing 2,200 transferring over from Arriva Trains Wales; there will also be 30 new apprentices for each year of the contract.
• From December 2018, there will be increased capacity on the Valleys lines and new services between Chester and Liverpool
• By the end of 2023, an extra 285 services each weekday are promised across Wales (a 29% rise). Some of the lines benefiting will be Ebbw Vale (a service to Newport by 2021), Wrexham-Bidston, Cambrian and the Heart of Wales
• Sunday services will be increased by 61% with an additional 294 services across Wales "creating a true seven-day-a-week service"
• Smart ticketing will promise more flexible fares and cheaper off-peak fares will be introduced including in north Wales and at half of stations in the valleys
• Seven extra trains between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth - and a new station at Bow Street in Aberystwyth; 16 extra services between Cardiff and Cheltenham
• An "acceleration" of the North Wales Metro, investment in stations at Chester, Shotton, Wrexham General and Blaenau Ffestiniog; other improvements include a new Liverpool to Llandudno service
• All stations will run on renewable energy; there will also be improved wi-fi and by 2024 85% of journeys will have end-to-end internet access.
• All stations will be deep-cleaned in the first year
• Rail users forums will be set up
• Active travel will be encouraged by the installation of new bike lockers

 

[Danemouth]

Call me a cynic but this seems too good to be true,

 

Time will tell

 

Dave

[Wild Boar Fell]

Looks like there will be some Stadler Flirts and what appear to be a Hitachi AT200 based units making an appearance.

[Edwin_m]

Concensus elsewhere is that the new units are CAF not Hitachi - this would fit with being built in Wales, as CAF are opening a plant there.  Look the same as the new units for West Midlands which are definitely CAF. 

 

I agree on Stadler Flirts though.  Some Class 230 (D-train) also seem to be making an appearance, and the loco-hauled Mk3 set is upgraded to Mk4.  Valley Lines will have diesel-battery-electric tram-trains and continue to run through to Barry and Penarth. 

[Wild Boar Fell]

Concensus elsewhere is that the new units are CAF not Hitachi - this would fit with being built in Wales, as CAF are opening a plant there.  Look the same as the new units for West Midlands which are definitely CAF. 

 

I agree on Stadler Flirts though.  Some Class 230 (D-train) also seem to be making an appearance, and the loco-hauled Mk3 set is upgraded to Mk4.  Valley Lines will have diesel-battery-electric tram-trains and continue to run through to Barry and Penarth. 

 

Indeed, my mistake. They do look very much like CAF units.

[lmsforever]

Seem a quick build for the Metro and trams on streets.

[corneliuslundie]

I am not sure how that statement that all trains will be replaced squares with the announcement already made that the 158s are to be fitted with retention toilets and a facility for servicing them is to be built at Machynlleth. That seems to point to the 158s being around for the whole franchise.

 

Jonathan

[Merfyn Jones]

I am not sure how that statement that all trains will be replaced squares with the announcement already made that the 158s are to be fitted with retention toilets and a facility for servicing them is to be built at Machynlleth. That seems to point to the 158s being around for the whole franchise.

 

Jonathan

 

All trains are to have retention tanks by a set date (about time too) so the 158s have to be done till their replacements arrive, whenever that is. 

[Wild Boar Fell]

Reports elsewhere of 170s coming from AGA/AEA once they've finished with them too.

[Frappington Jct]

I am not sure how that statement that all trains will be replaced squares with the announcement already made that the 158s are to be fitted with retention toilets and a facility for servicing them is to be built at Machynlleth. That seems to point to the 158s being around for the whole franchise.

 

Jonathan

Didn't the BBC report say 95% of journeys would be on new trains? Assuming they are including second hand but new to the franchise trains in 'new' (D-Trains, 170s etc) then I would suspect the 158s would stay on the Cambrian to cover the remaining 5%. They are by far the best units ATW have (I'm my opinion at least) and are probably in the best condition internally in terms of passenger comfort, experience etc. which would put them lower down the list of priorities for replacement. They are certainly nicer to travel in than the 175s running on the Manchester-Cardiff/West Wales arteries...

[wombatofludham]

I keep seeing references to "D" trains but from what I can see and read on the official press releases there's no mention of Vivarail units.  Where are people getting this from?

[Frappington Jct]

I keep seeing references to "D" trains but from what I can see and read on the official press releases there's no mention of Vivarail units. Where are people getting this from?

Think it's more speculation than anything- there were suggestions a while ago that ATW were thinking of ordering some, whether or not that's actually going to happen is another matter entirely.

[Metr0Land]

Hopefully not too far

 

BBC Wales News last week had an item about Arriva Trains Wales looking for volunteers to look after stations which are currently unmanned  unstaffed (ie a lot of them).  Some discussion about 'maintenance on the cheap' which ATW rebutted but nowhere did the journalist think to ask about the limited time left of the ATW franchise.  Seems a bit like ATW rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic?

['CHARD]

Didn't the BBC report say 95% of journeys would be on new trains? Assuming they are including second hand but new to the franchise trains in 'new' (D-Trains, 170s etc) then I would suspect the 158s would stay on the Cambrian to cover the remaining 5%. They are by far the best units ATW have (I'm my opinion at least) and are probably in the best condition internally in terms of passenger comfort, experience etc. which would put them lower down the list of priorities for replacement. They are certainly nicer to travel in than the 175s running on the Manchester-Cardiff/West Wales arteries...

 

'On the Cambrian line the current Class 158 DMUs will be replaced with new DMUs during 2022.'

['CHARD]

Think it's more speculation than anything- there were suggestions a while ago that ATW were thinking of ordering some, whether or not that's actually going to happen is another matter entirely.

 

'The Wrexham to Bidston line will see a doubling in frequency to half-hourly, with fully refurbished metro trains to be introduced; TfW documentation suggests Vivarail Class 230 units could be destined for this line.'

[Frappington Jct]

'On the Cambrian line the current Class 158 DMUs will be replaced with new DMUs during 2022.'

Oops, missed that!

[phil-b259]

Three things stand out.

Firstly, the franchise term is 15 years - a FAR more sensible time frame than the politicians at Westminster favour (for no other reason that a desire to keep micromanaging things).

Secondly, any profits the operator makes will be capped - and the excess will be ploughed back into the railway and NOT given to HM Treasury.

Thirdly, the decision for a national 'Transport for Wales' livery (copying Scotrail) is a smart move in keeping costs down in the longer term.

In summery, once again the devolved nations are doing a much better job than messers Grayling, Wilkison and the entire staff of the DfT when it comes to organising rail services - with the result that England continues to lose out big time.

Edited June 4, 2018 by phil-b259

[nightstar.train]

Thirdly, the decision for a national 'Transport for Wales' livery (copying Scotrail) is a smart move in keeping costs down in the longer term.

It is a good idea. But if they’re going with the livery in the videos, it’s just awful. Bland with no differentiation that it’s Wales. The doors are red i suppose, but that hardly screams welsh. They could’ve done something with the welsh dragon, like Scotrail have done with the Saltire.

[big jim]

'The Wrexham to Bidston line will see a doubling in frequency to half-hourly, with fully refurbished metro trains to be introduced; TfW documentation suggests Vivarail Class 230 units could be destined for this line.'

It’s a shame the 3rd rail won’t reach shotton (or even Deeside industrial estate) any time soon

 

I hope the 230s have good power and traction as I wouldn’t fancy one on shotton bank during leaf fall if they did appear on the line

 

Interesting to see a llandudno to Liverpool service, no doubt using the Halton chord when it opens proper

 

Not sure about the station at bow st, will it be a park and ride for Aberystwyth or something but from what I’ve seen there appears to be sufficient parking in the town, wonder if the Cambrian will have dedicated units with ERTMS fitted purely for that line and out to Birmingham services

Edited June 4, 2018 by big jim

[Coryton]

It is a good idea. But if they’re going with the livery in the videos, it’s just awful. Bland with no differentiation that it’s Wales. The doors are red i suppose, but that hardly screams welsh. They could’ve done something with the welsh dragon, like Scotrail have done with the Saltire.

 

The old Valley Lines livery was rather nice, I thought.

[Coryton]

This link is quite informative: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/article14740158.ece/BINARY/The%20KeolisAmey%20timetable%20for%20the%20plans%20to%20change%20the%20Wales%20and%20Borders%20network

 

Looks as if it's come from Keolis Amey rather than being filtered through a journalist's keyboard.

 

Some of the timescales look a little unambitious to me (new Web site in 2019!) but maybe they are being realistic and putting in plenty of contingency.

[big jim]

This link is quite informative: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/article14740158.ece/BINARY/The%20KeolisAmey%20timetable%20for%20the%20plans%20to%20change%20the%20Wales%20and%20Borders%20network

 

Looks as if it's come from Keolis Amey rather than being filtered through a journalist's keyboard.

 

Some of the timescales look a little unambitious to me (new Web site in 2019!) but maybe they are being realistic and putting in plenty of contingency.

Liverpool to shrewsbury and Liverpool to Cardiff services mentioned too and “1st class service Swansea to Manchester”

 

All this added Sunday service, do arriva drivers and guards have sundays as part of their working week, I can’t remeber what my t+c were

[Coryton]

On the Valleys, 12 tph through Pontypridd and 6 to Caerphilly gives 20 tph through Queen Street and 22 including 2tph to Coryton (unless they become a shuttle to Heath).

 

Seems quite a lot.

 

I can see how extending some to the Bay might help, but getting them back up the Valleys doesn't sound helpful as they will have to cross over services heading towards Cardiff (which is I think why they changed it to a shuttle).

 

Might help if they still had four lines from Queen Street to the junction the other side of Newport Road.

 

[black and decker boy]

A graph in this annex to Ken Skates speech shows the new fleet deployments and durations

 

https://gov.wales/docs/cabinetstatements/2018/180604serviceimprovementsen.pdf

 

So 769s still arrive for a short period. A short term boost in class 153s. D78 / class 230s in for the duration of the franchise as are MK4 LHCS for the WAG express and Class 170 (Heart of Wales line mentioned).

 

New DMU in various configurations for South Wales commuter and rural / long distance. New tri-mode MUs. new metro tram trains.

 

Lots of work for the new CAF factory in Newport.

Edited June 4, 2018 by black and decker boy

[wombatofludham]

I would have thought procuring an add-on bi or battery-bi mode order for the new Merseyrail fleet would have allowed through services from Wrexham to Liverpool and from North Wales to Liverpool via a reversal at Chester, with consistent operating characteristics, without the entirely predictable cries of "the Hwntw getting all the money and North Wales getting London cast offs" that are already being made in some commentaries on line. It would also help re-inforce the city-region concept where the WG want to bring the benefits of the so called Northern Powerhouse to North Wales.

 

Possibly too much like joined up thinking for the Cardiff Bay Chianti set.