Anonymous10
Established Member
its mileage accumulation and there are clearance issues
Last edited by a moderator:
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
CAF Civity for TfW: News and updates on introduction.
- Thread starter hexagon789
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
krus_aragon
Established Member
They still seem to be scared of the Conwy bridge (or possibly the town walls).
craigybagel
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 5,079
Nobody knows what the plan is for the Manchester services, especially since whatever the original plans were at the time of the franchise announcement, they've since changed with the decision to use MKIVs on the route.
Doveymain158
Member
- Joined
- 9 Apr 2014
- Messages
- 129
I think it’s done under possession after close of service. They test ETCS out in different ways
craigybagel
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 5,079
AIUI NR did the upgrade a few weeks ago. There was a day where all services were officially replaced by buses, but a full timetable of empty trains ran to test everything was working after the upgrade.
anamyd
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 3,011
Thanks for letting me know either way
Thanks to everyone else for the replies too.
SuperLuke2334
Established Member
Afternoon all, does anyone have any more updates on how well the Cambrian line testing is going, and whether any units have passed FFR / mileage accumulation yet please?
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
197104(?) at Donnington RFT now
The_Train
Established Member
- Joined
- 2 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 4,352
Any confirmation on the ID of the new unit yet?
hexagon789
Veteran Member
It is '104.
That makes the units at Donnington:
006, 007, 008, 009, 012, 013, 103, 104,
Five unidentified two-car 197/0 units
Plus WMR 196113
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
That's correct yes. My list is the same as this.
berneyarms
Established Member
Looking at this week's edition of the North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board, 197 102 finally made the first visit of the Class to Holyhead on Friday 17th June.
craigybagel
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 5,079
Good spot. One less thing for for the naysayers to moan about. It turns out they do fit through Conwy Tunnel....
So presumably all the scare stories about Conwy bridge were nonsense, and it's just the predictable incompetence that it's taken so long.
berneyarms
Established Member
Or perhaps, as above, the necessary infrastructure works required as part of the gauge testing for the new units along that section have now taken place.
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
Breaking news tonight. 197006 off to MOD Bicester by road today.
TFW Class 197007 has left Donnington Rail Freight Terminal to go to Bicester MOD for further warm storage this morning. (23/6/22)
Guess it's going for further storage but could be wrong. Happy to be corrected.
TFW Class 197007 has left Donnington Rail Freight Terminal to go to Bicester MOD for further warm storage this morning. (23/6/22)
Attachments
Last edited:
anamyd
On Moderation
- Joined
- 17 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 3,011
Re: "Over eight nights from the 24th May, testing has taken place between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury", most of that seemed to be between Machynlleth and Shrewsbury (or Welshpool) and the one time I know of that the 197 went to Aberystwyth, which I believe was in the early hours of the 28/5/22, I missed seeing it in person despite only living across the road, but I've hopefully got better with things like that now and I'll be looking out for it, so thanks for sharing this information.
Wyrleybart
Established Member
This will be an interesting transition. Would I be right in thinking that when 197s eventually take over, there will be a "no going back" switchover to 197s and their ETCS ? Or will the 158s be migrated to the new system prior to 197s taking over.
TIA
I seem to recall that there has already been a full day running with the 'new' ETCS on-test with replacement road transport but trains running anyway. If so, that seems to suggest that the 158s are compatible with both the 'new' and 'old' systems (if indeed the old system is still in use and they haven't already switched to the new) but 197s are only equipped to run under the 'new' system.
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
197008 was heading down the M6 today, I passed the 2 end cars southbound near Coventry. From Twitter today. Not confirmed but assuming it's going to Bicester MOD where the others are stored.
197006/007 and 008 are at Bicester MOD for further storage.
197006/007 and 008 are at Bicester MOD for further storage.
Last edited:
Wyrleybart
Established Member
Is it Bicester or Long Marston ?
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
Wouldn't guess it's Bicester as those I've mentioned are already there.
197013 has gone from Donnington RFT to Crewe today dragged by 66501. Went in this morning to pick it up and took it this afternoon.
Last edited:
According to various North Wales news outlets, TfW have now stated that 197s will operate on Wrexham - Bidston line:
https://www.wrexham.com/news/transp...te-on-the-wrexham-to-bidston-line-221036.html
https://www.wrexham.com/news/transp...te-on-the-wrexham-to-bidston-line-221036.html
Transport for Wales confirm new Class 197 trains will operate on the Wrexham to Bidston line
Brand new trains that will “transform and improve transport throughout Wales and the borders” will be on show at Chester railway station today.
Assembled by CAF at their factory in Newport, the first Class 197 train with its ‘Made in Wales’ tag will be revealed to the public today (Friday 1 July), offering a taste of what’s to come for customers in the next few months.
TfW are spending £800 million on new trains throughout their network and the Class 197 will be the first of the brand-new stock to enter service in North Wales before the end of this year.
Providing an increase in capacity, reduced emissions and enhanced comfort onboard, these trains will allow TfW to run faster and more frequent services to key routes including to destinations such as Holyhead, Fishguard and Liverpool.
TfW has also confirmed that the new Class 197 train will operate on the Wrexham to Bidston line which serves a number of Flintshire stations including Shotton, Hawarden and Buckley.
In May Deeside.com reported that a Class 197 train was spotted being put through its paces on the Wrexham to Bidston line raising hopes that passengers who use the line will finally get to travel on new trains,
TfW purchased five Class 230 trains – which use the bogies and aluminium bodyshells of withdrawn London Underground trains – in 2018.
The intention was to bring the new hybrid diesel/battery units into service in 2019 but TfW only took delivery of units from Vivarail in July 2020.
Staff training requirements were hampered by the Pandemic leading to further delays.
Other delays have been caused by “technical issues,” in July last year, training was temporarily suspended after a small fire on one of the units.
TfW had hoped to bring the Class 230 units into operation on the Wrexham to Bidston in May but a further battery-related ‘thermal’ incident in April led to the implementation programme being suspended.
On the new Class 197 trains, Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters said: “I am pleased to welcome the new Class 197 trains to the rail network.”
“These new vehicles represent a real transformational improvement on the trains that they will be replacing, providing comfortable and frequent services, encouraging people to leave their cars behind and move onto a more sustainable form of transport.”
Alexia Course, TfW’s Director of Transport Operations, said: “At Transport for Wales we’re continually moving forward with our transformational plans to improve public transport for the people of Wales and the borders.
“The Class 197s on show at Chester railway station today will be an important part of the transformation of the Wales and Borders network, and when they enter service, they will enable us to run more services and carry more customers in comfort.
“The construction of our new trains has been four years in the making, and customers and colleagues are incredibly excited to welcome passengers onto them from later this year.
“It’s also important to recognise that these trains have been made in Wales at the CAF factory in Newport and the building of them has provided jobs and supported the local economy”.
Cllr David A Bithell, Deputy Leader with responsibility for strategic transport, said, “I welcomed the opportunity to see first-hand these very impressive trains.
“It’s great to see such investment in Wales and to see such commitment to upgrading services for customers across Wales and the borders by Transport for Wales.
“I’m sure passengers will appreciate the improvements when they come into service in the area later in the year.”
There is no indication as yet when the Class 197s will be operating on the Wrexham to Bidston Line.
The Class 197s will be operating on the following lines when in service:
- North Wales Coast (Holyhead-Manchester/Birmingham)
- Cardiff-Holyhead
- Conwy Valley Line (Llandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog)
- Borderlands Line (Wrexham-Bidston)
- Chester-Liverpool
- Marches Line (Cardiff-Manchester/Liverpool)
- Cambrian Line (Birmingham-Aberystwyth/Pwllheli)
- Ebbw Vale Line (Ebbw Vale-Cardiff/Newport)
- Maesteg-Cheltenham
- Manchester-Milford Haven
- Cardiff-Fishguard
- Swansea-Pembroke Dock
Envoy
Established Member
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2014
- Messages
- 2,474
So, still no date to get any of these into service - not even on the Conwy Valley line or the short hop between Chester & Liverpool. How many 197’s are now stored in various sidings all over the place - including the MOD place in the heart of England? I would have thought that following the destruction of a four coach 150 at Craven Arms due to hitting a digger left on the tracks by yobs, that the need to get some 197’s into service was more pressing than ever.