Arriva Trains Wales is a
train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
and the
Welsh MarchesThe Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales on the island of Great Britain, in the United Kingdom....
. Its busiest stations are
Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway station is a major British railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Cardiff itself and in Wales...
,
Cardiff Queen StreetCardiff Queen Street railway station is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. It is one of 20 stations in the city and two in the city centre, the other being Cardiff Central ....
and
NewportNewport railway station is the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales , situated in the heart of the city of Newport. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although First Great Western and CrossCountry also provide services...
. Routes are also concentrated on
ShrewsburyShrewsbury railway station is a railway station serving the county town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been...
,
CreweCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
,
ChesterChester railway station is a railway station in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services there. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
and
Wrexham GeneralWrexham General railway station is the main railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but services are also provided by other operators including Wrexham & Shropshire and a once daily Virgin Trains service to London Euston...
.
Description
The company took over operation of the reorganised
Wales and BordersWales and Borders is the name of a franchise of train services covering Wales, the Welsh Marches and bordering counties of England.The franchise was initially formed from part of the former Wales and West franchise and the Cardiff Railway Company , together with the lines from Shrewsbury to...
railway franchise from the company of the same name in December 2003. Responsibility for this franchise has been devolved to the
Welsh Assembly GovernmentThe Welsh Assembly Government was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007....
as a result of the
Railways Act 2005The Railways Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the regulatory structure for railways in the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
and the Transport (Wales) Act 2006, and they work closely with Arriva Trains Wales to develop the railway network within Wales. This has included the introduction of direct services between
NorthNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.It comprises the island of Anglesey, the Llŷn peninsula and the Snowdonia mountain range, together with the catchments of the Rivers Conwy, Clwyd and Dee with the River Dyfi...
and
South WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, and the reintroduction of passenger services on freight-only portions of the
Vale of Glamorgan LineThe Vale of Glamorgan Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend via Barry, Rhoose and Llantwit Major. There are also branch lines to Penarth and Barry Island. As its names suggests, the line runs through the Vale of Glamorgan....
and Ebbw Vale Line.
They operate on a gauge of 1435 mm, over a route length: 1691 km, with 253 DMU cars and 22 passenger coaches.
Arriva Trains Wales operate almost all services in Wales, with the exception of:
/ to London Paddington (
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
) to and (
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
)
to and (
CrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva. The company operates a network of express and long-distance train services between a variety of towns and cities outside London.- Formation :...
)
//Wrexham General to London Euston (
Virgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland, and from Birmingham New Street to North West England and Scotland, on the West Coast Main Line...
)
to London Marylebone (Wrexham & Shropshire)
Performance
In October 2006 the company was ranked seventh best (out of 21 companies) with an above average 89.9% of trains 'on time' according to
Network RailNetwork Rail owns and operates Britain’s rail infrastructure. It is a British "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a company limited by shares....
statistics. The latest figures released by the ORR (Office of Rail Regulation) rate punctuality (PPM) at 95.0% for the first quarter of the 2009/10 financial year. Their MAA (Monthly Annual Average) figure up to 30 June 2009 is up 0.4% on last year at 93.5%. However, the Cambrian Main Line is still a poor performer, with anecdotal evidence suggesting punctuality levels as low as 60%.
Welsh language services
The
Welsh Language Act 1993The Welsh Language Act 1993 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which put the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English language in Wales with regard to the public sector....
requires all public bodies to provide services to the public through the medium of
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
as well as English. Due to the privatisation of the railways, Arriva is not legally required to provide service in Welsh. Arriva do however conduct some business in Welsh. All stations in Wales where the Welsh and English names differ have both names displayed, with a few minor omissions (only the Welsh spelling
Fflint is displayed at
Flint railway stationFlint railway station serves the town of Flint in Flintshire, North Wales. It located on the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, who provide most of the passenger trains that call here...
). Arriva do not display Welsh names in the English stations which they manage, such as Chester (Welsh:
Caer) or Hereford (Welsh:
Henffordd), although recorded announcements are in both English and Welsh.
Arriva Trains Wales have introduced bilingual display screens and announcements in at least 46 stations, but these do not include some stations such as
BangorBangor railway station may refer to:*Bangor railway station, Northern Ireland*Bangor railway station...
in traditionally Welsh-speaking areas. Long-distance services on
Class 175The Class 175 Coradia is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built from 1999–2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. They are part of the Coradia family of trains along with the Class 180 Adelante.The entire fleet is...
trains now show both Welsh and English names on their on-train display boards (e.g. Manceinion/Manchester Piccadilly), but the audio announcements are in English only.
In 2004, Arriva introduced a Welsh language phone line. Their website was named the "Best Website of The Year in the Technology Wales Awards 2004". Arriva report that approximately 4% of their customers use the Welsh website; this low takeup of Welsh services is comparable to some other companies.
North Wales
Services along the
North Wales Coast Line|}The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
terminate at and . Llandudno services run every hour to
Manchester PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales and the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central in Scotland, and routes throughout northern England...
via and . Holyhead services run every hour, to via Chester and , then alternately to or . Request stations west of Llandudno Junction (
ConwyConwy railway station serves the ancient walled town of Conwy and is located on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. There are through services to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint in one direction and to Bangor & Holyhead in the other. After arrival at Chester, most trains...
, , , , , , and ) are generally served by alternate trains.
The
Conwy Valley LineThe Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879. The primary purpose of the line was to carry slate from the Ffestiniog...
is operated by a single train running between Llandudno and , with six return journeys a day. The
Ffestiniog RailwayThe Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd in Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
operates connecting services between Blaenau Ffestiniog and
PorthmadogPorthmadog , known locally as Port, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972, it was in Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of Criccieth, south west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north of Dolgellau and south of Caernarfon...
.
Services on the
Borderlands LineThe Borderlands Line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England.The southern part of the line was built by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway and the northern part by the North Wales and Liverpool Railway, a joint committee of the WMCQR and the Manchester,...
run from to on the
Wirral PeninsulaWirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
, crossing the North Wales Coast Line at . This line connects with electrified lines operated by
MerseyrailMerseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter rail network, centred on Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The system has 67 stations spread across 75 miles of track, and runs underground and overground, carrying over 100,000 passengers each day...
at Bidston, and may be converted to electric operation in the future.
Mid Wales
Cambrian LineThe Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
services consist of trains from to ,
Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street is Birmingham's main railway station located in the city centre. It lies on the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line, and is a major hub of the British railway system....
and every two hours. Services from join this train at or . Services are operated exclusively by Arriva's
British Rail Class 158British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at their Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
DMUsA diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
, as they are fitted with the necessary equipment for the Radio Electric Token Block signalling used.
The single-tracked nature of this line, coupled with the busy terminus at meant that delays could result in partial cancellation of services on this line. From December 2008, most services have been extended to the less busy
Birmingham International stationBirmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the West Coast Main Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. The...
, giving more flexibility in making up any lost time; this measure was also introduced to help international students at Aberystwyth University gain easier access to an airport. Trial of the ERTMS traffic management system is under way on the Cambrian Line, and this may further alleviate these problems.
The
Heart of Wales Line|}The Heart of Wales Line is the railway line from Llanelli in South Wales to Craven Arms in Shropshire and runs through, as the name suggests, some of the heartlands of Wales. It crossed the earlier Mid Wales Railway at Builth Road, but was unable to get any nearer to the town of Builth Wells. It...
has services from to via and four or five times a day. It is marketed by Arriva Trains Wales as a scenic, rural line, with special rover tickets available.
The main servicing depot for Class 158 "Sprinter" DMU's is also behind Machynlleth Station
South Wales
As of September 2008, Arriva Trains Wales operates an hourly long-distance services from to
Manchester PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales and the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central in Scotland, and routes throughout northern England...
via and the
Welsh Marches LineThe Welsh Marches Line is the railway line from Newport to Shrewsbury via Abergavenny, Hereford, Craven Arms, and then, either to Crewe and Manchester via Whitchurch or alternately via the Shrewsbury and Chester Line to Wrexham and Chester with services continuing to Holyhead...
. Some off-peak services terminate at or originate from Cardiff Central, and continue to or come from every two hours.
Arriva also operates a service every two hours from Cardiff Central to via .
Other branches of the
West Wales LineThe West Wales Line is a railway line from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales. It has three branches, to Fishguard, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock....
as served by services from Swansea and Cardiff Central. Trains operate a shuttle service between Swansea and Cardiff Central (known as Swanline), calling at more minor stations than the
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
Intercity services do.
Arriva also operates on the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea via Llandrindod with four trains per day each direction. Special Royal Welsh Trains extending into South East Wales operate to Builth Road station during the Royal Welsh Show annually in July.
Cardiff and Valleys
The
Valley LinesValleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the busy urban network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys....
network, previously operated as a separate franchise, are a collection of urban lines in Cardiff and the surrounding area, including the
South Wales ValleysThe South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
and the
Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
. Arriva Trains Wales also operate a service from to . Stations in the valleys north of Cardiff have seen sustained strong growth and demand for services. The extent of which is now demonstrated by a half-hourly service on the fringes of the network (Pontypridd-Treherbert, Abercynon-Aberdare, Abercynon-Merthyr Tydfil and in the future Bargoed to Rhymney). Service frequency growth at the fringes is a significant problem because of often-lengthy single-track sections. Between the larger towns and Cardiff these services combine to provide at least a train every 15 minutes with six trains per hour between Pontypridd and Cardiff and four trains per hour between Bargoed and Cardiff. Stations on the Treherbert and Rhymney branch lines have been lengthened to accommodate six-car trains to cope with future growth demand for commuting into and out of the capital.
On 6 February 2008 the Ebbw Valley line was partially re-opened to passenger services for the first time in over 40 years. The route provides an hourly service to Cardiff Central calling at
Ebbw Vale Parkway railway stationEbbw Vale Parkway railway station is the current terminus of the Ebbw Valley Line. The station opened on 6 February 2008 when services to and from Cardiff Central commenced after 46 years of being a freight-only line...
, , Newbridge, , , and and Cardiff Central. One year after opening the line had carried 573,442 passengers smashing all targets set by the Welsh Assembly Government. Services on Saturday run as four-carriage formations instead of the standard two, extra carriages are also added during school holidays when demand is high. Developments on the line also include restoring the service between Ebbw Vale and Newport — the proposal awaits Network Rail and Welsh Assembly Government approval. If implemented it would provide an hourly service between Newport and Ebbw Vale.
Marches and Border
Services between and Newport form part of other services already mentioned, such as to , or to
Manchester PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales and the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central in Scotland, and routes throughout northern England...
. Coming north, after calling at (for connections to Mid-Wales) trains for North Wales go to via
Wrexham GeneralWrexham General railway station is the main railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but services are also provided by other operators including Wrexham & Shropshire and a once daily Virgin Trains service to London Euston...
, and trains for Manchester go to
CreweCrewe is a town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
.
Special services
For special events such as football or rugby matches, Arriva is known to operate additional services to the venue. Wales and Borders had arranged in the past a stopping service to . Numerous other services have been operated. Arriva usually operates shuttle services to Newport on match days. Some of these services were operated using locos and hauled stock - usually on loan.
Past services
Wales and BordersWales and Borders is the name of a franchise of train services covering Wales, the Welsh Marches and bordering counties of England.The franchise was initially formed from part of the former Wales and West franchise and the Cardiff Railway Company , together with the lines from Shrewsbury to...
(now Arriva Trains Wales) used to operate services between Cardiff and South West England, as well as between West Wales, Cardiff and London Waterloo via Bristol. Services to the South West are now operated by
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
, while a shortened Bristol to Waterloo service is provided by
South West TrainsSouth West Trains is the trading name of a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight, the area...
.
Future services
Arriva have announced their intention to reinstate a direct Aberystwyth - London service serving all stations to Birmingham International and additionally calling at
Leamington SpaLeamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington or "Leam" to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr...
and Bicester North on its way to London Marylebone. Two off peak-time trains would operate each day, while a further service would be added Saturdays in High Summer. Rolling stock would be Class 158
Sprinters the same as
Wales and BordersWales and Borders is the name of a franchise of train services covering Wales, the Welsh Marches and bordering counties of England.The franchise was initially formed from part of the former Wales and West franchise and the Cardiff Railway Company , together with the lines from Shrewsbury to...
used on the Manchester to London Waterloo/Penzance services in the 90s and 00s.
Some contributors to various railway noticeboards suggested something similar to the Wrexham and Shropshire operation could be used south of Birmingham International. The Class 67s could not be used north of Machynlleth due to the high axle loading so would have to be uncoupled halfway through the journey, a change of locomotive would add unnecessary extra time to the timetable.
Managed by other companies
- Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street is Birmingham's main railway station located in the city centre. It lies on the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line, and is a major hub of the British railway system....
- Crewe
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
- Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station is the principal railway station of Manchester in England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales and the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central in Scotland, and routes throughout northern England...
- Warrington Bank Quay
Rolling stock
As of March 2008, Arriva Trains Wales currently operate a fleet of 123 diesel multiple units. They also own some MK2 coaching stock which is used for their locomotive-hauled express services between
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the north west of Wales.Although it is the largest town in the county, with a population of 11,237 , it is neither the county town nor actually on the island of Anglesey...
and
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
, and have occasionally used hired-in locomotives to run extra services for sporting events.
| Class |
Image |
Type |
Top speed |
Number |
Routes operated |
Unit numbers |
Built |
| mph |
km/h |
Class 57The British Rail Class 57 diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004. They are rebuilds, with reconditioned engines, of former Class 47 locomotives, originally introduced in 1964-5...
|
|
Diesel locomotive A Diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. Several types have been developed, the principal distinction being in the means by which the prime mover's mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels .-Overview:Early internal combustion...
|
95 |
152 |
4 |
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the north west of Wales.Although it is the largest town in the county, with a population of 11,237 , it is neither the county town nor actually on the island of Anglesey...
- Cardiff CentralCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
|
57313/314/315/316 |
1997-2004 |
Class 121 Bubble carSixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020-55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280-289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
70 |
112 |
1 |
Cardiff Queen Street -Cardiff Bay |
121032 |
1958-1960 |
Class 142 PacerThe British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
75 |
120 |
15 |
Valley Lines Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the busy urban network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys....
Swanline |
142002 / 006 / 010 / 069 / 072 - 077 / 080 - 083 / 085 |
1985 |
| Class 143 Pacer The British Rail Class 143 is a diesel multiple unit, part of the Pacer family of trains introduced between 1985 & 1986. They originally worked in the North-East of England but were later transferred to Wales and South-West England.-Technical:...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
75 |
120 |
15 |
Valley Lines Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the busy urban network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys....
Swanline |
143601 /602 / 604 - 610 / 614 / 616 / 622 - 625 (615 was scrapped following a fire) |
1985 |
Class 150 SprinterThe British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Description :...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
75 |
120 |
31 |
Valley Lines Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes is the busy urban network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys....
Borderlands LineThe Borderlands Line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England.The southern part of the line was built by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway and the northern part by the North Wales and Liverpool Railway, a joint committee of the WMCQR and the Manchester,...
Swanline
Pembroke Dock services (School Holidays)Pembroke Dock railway station serves the town of Pembroke Dock in Pembrokeshire, Wales.The station is served by a regular daily service to/from Swansea via Whitland, with connections for the South Wales mainline available at Swansea....
|
150208 / 213 / 217 / 227 / 230 - 231 / 235 - 237 / 240 - 242 / 245 / 250 - 260 / 262 / 264 / 267 / 278 - 281 / 283 - 285 |
1983-85 |
Class 153 Super SprinterThe British Rail Class 153 "Super Sprinter" is a single-car diesel multiple unit train.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by Leyland from 1987-88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
75 |
120 |
8 |
Heart of Wales Line |}The Heart of Wales Line is the railway line from Llanelli in South Wales to Craven Arms in Shropshire and runs through, as the name suggests, some of the heartlands of Wales. It crossed the earlier Mid Wales Railway at Builth Road, but was unable to get any nearer to the town of Builth Wells. It...
Conwy Valley LineThe Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879. The primary purpose of the line was to carry slate from the Ffestiniog...
Swanline
Borderlands LineThe Borderlands Line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England.The southern part of the line was built by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway and the northern part by the North Wales and Liverpool Railway, a joint committee of the WMCQR and the Manchester,...
Pembroke DockPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. It is the third largest town in Pembrokeshire.- History :...
|
153303 / 312 / 320 / 323 / 327 / 353 / 362 / 367 |
1987 - 1988 |
Class 158 Express SprinterBritish Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at their Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
90 |
145 |
24 |
Cambrian Line The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
Swanline
- services
Most semi-fast services |
158818 - 841 |
1989 - 1992 |
Class 175 CoradiaThe Class 175 Coradia is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built from 1999–2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. They are part of the Coradia family of trains along with the Class 180 Adelante.The entire fleet is...
|
 |
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
|
100 |
160 |
27 |
Holyhead-Cardiff Central
Manchester Piccadilly-Llandudno
Manchester Piccadilly-Milford Haven |
175001 - 011 / 175101 - 116 |
1999 - 2001 |
Mark 2 CoachBritish Rail's second design of carriages was designated Mark 2. The Mark 2 has a semi-integral construction, giving it more strength than a Mark 1 in the event of an accident, although a key driver of the changed construction method was to overcome the serious corrosion problem point in the Mark 1...
|
 |
Passenger Coach |
100 |
160 |
22 |
Holyhead - Cardiff CentralSpecial services (such as sports events) |
5853 / 5869 / 5913 / 5965 / 5971 / 5976 / 6008 / 6013 / 6035 / 6064 / 6066 / 6119 / 6124 / 6137 / 6162 / 6170 / 6183 / 9503 / 9509 / 9521 / 9524 / 9539 / |
1972 - 1975 |
Arriva has expanded its Class 150 fleet, with units cascaded from
ScotRailScotRail was the brand name created in 1984 under its manager Chris Green under which British Rail during the Sectorisation era and, following privatisation, GNER and National Express operated passenger rail services in Scotland and cross border services to Northern England and London...
and National Express East Anglia early in the franchise. On 10 December 2006, eight further Class 150s from
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
were added, these being sets: 150230/236/240/241/242/251/253/254:
- 4 will operate on the Borderlands Line (Wrexham General-Bidston)
- 4 will enter service on South Wales valley routes for use on the restored Ebbw Valley Line
The Ebbw Valley Line is a railway spur of the Great Western Main Line in South Wales, linking central Cardiff and Ebbw Vale.-History:The first passenger services on the line operated between Newport Courtybella and Blaina on 21 December 1850...
from February 2008.
In 2006 'heritage' unit 121032 was purchased by Arriva for use on the
Cardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the UK. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the former...
Shuttle. The unit has been repainted into Arriva colours and was hauled to Wales in June 2006 to enter service in July. The unit finally entered service on 17 August 2006 but was withdrawn two days later due to a major problem with the engine. The unit re-entered service on the Cardiff Bay line on 14 September 2006. More recently the unit has been suffering further problems and once again it has had to be taken out of service. The Cardiff Bay line temporarily ran a class 153, until 1 January 2009 when the Class 121 re-entered service on the Cardiff Bay shuttle.
From November 2007, nine Class 150/2 units transferred from the
West MidlandsThe West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
as the
Central TrainsCentral Trains was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running local and long-distance services in central England. The company’s operations were centred on Birmingham in the West Midlands....
franchise came to an end.
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands Franchise since 11 November 2007....
(the successor to Central Trains) will utilise Class 170s on
Birmingham New StreetBirmingham New Street is Birmingham's main railway station located in the city centre. It lies on the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line, and is a major hub of the British railway system....
to
WalsallWalsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation, and is sometimes described as part of the Black Country.Walsall...
and
StaffordStafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway...
services to enable the release of these ten units. As of March 2008, five of these units will be sub-leased to
First Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales....
due to recent bad press over a poor service provided by FGW - with several of these units having been refurbished with Arriva-style seating and corporate exterior livery.
From December 2008 a new Holyhead to Cardiff (and return) service has been operated by Arriva Trains Wales. It is usually formed by two Class 57s (top'n'tail), one Mk 3 Buffet (on hire) and three of their Mk2 coaches. The coaches were refreshed at Eastleigh Works and the locos painted at Cardiff Canton. There is now a plan to run a second daytime diagram operating on weekends as well.
All Class 158s are now maintained at their own special depot at Machynlleth TMD (Traction Maintenance Depot)
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