CAF class 197 Civity for TfW: News and updates on introduction.

[Jacob Porrett]

66562 took 197112 from Donnington Rail Freight Terminal to Crewe Carriage Sidings L&NWR Site today (6Q98) Another three car unit.

 

[Bob Price]

6Q98 sitting outside Crewe right now has 66562 dragging 197112 to Crewe Carriage sidings. Today's test run was a 2 + 3 + 2 line up. I wonder how long until we see a three car in operation?

 

[Gordonman]

6Q98 sitting outside Crewe right now has 66562 dragging 197112 to Crewe Carriage sidings. Today's test run was a 2 + 3 + 2 line up. I wonder how long until we see a three car in operation?

Any ideas which ones were on test please?

 

[CaergwrleKen]

It'll be 197011, the only one down there at the moment.

197008/013 have gone south to Landore today on 3T01

 

[SuperLuke2334]

197008/013 have gone south to Landore today on 3T01

Indeed! Witnessed at Hereford.

 

[Bob Price]

Any ideas which ones were on test please?

No sorry, they are a pain to view the numbers on the webcams

 

[Philip]

Following on from the discussion in the mk4 thread, could we see 197s starting to appear on South Wales routes once a small handful of traincrew from all of the relevant depots have passed out on the units? Or does it need to be around 75-90% from each depot before a unit can be safely diagrammed?
I suggested May as a possible start date and was a bit surprised that this was deemed unlikely, as it's still 4 months away and you'd think this would be enough time to at least have a reasonable number of guards & drivers trained up from each depot, particularly now that a couple of 197s have been taken down to Cardiff. TfW plan to have a full 197 roll-out on all routes by December (except for first class section) and after South Wales is ready they still have the Cambrian depots to train up later in the year.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Following on from the discussion in the mk4 thread, could we see 197s starting to appear on South Wales routes once a small handful of traincrew from all of the relevant depots have passed out on the units? Or does it need to be around 75-90% from each depot before a unit can be safely diagrammed?
I suggested May as a possible start date and was a bit surprised that this was deemed unlikely, as it's still 4 months away and you'd think this would be enough time to at least have a reasonable number of guards & drivers trained up from each depot, particularly now that a couple of 197s have been taken down to Cardiff. TfW plan to have a full 197 roll-out on all routes by December (except for first class section) and after South Wales is ready they still have the Cambrian depots to train up later in the year.

I can only assume that (spare !) staff in the Cardiff area will be concentrated on training for the 231s as a priority as these units seem to be ready and waiting. Maybe fitter training for 197s is progressing ?.

 

[Jez]

Following on from the discussion in the mk4 thread, could we see 197s starting to appear on South Wales routes once a small handful of traincrew from all of the relevant depots have passed out on the units? Or does it need to be around 75-90% from each depot before a unit can be safely diagrammed?
I suggested May as a possible start date and was a bit surprised that this was deemed unlikely, as it's still 4 months away and you'd think this would be enough time to at least have a reasonable number of guards & drivers trained up from each depot, particularly now that a couple of 197s have been taken down to Cardiff. TfW plan to have a full 197 roll-out on all routes by December (except for first class section) and after South Wales is ready they still have the Cambrian depots to train up later in the year.

Some 197s may be able to operate some of the South Wales routes from May but id be surprised if a lot did. There are still only 3 or 4 in passenger service each day on the North Wales/North West routes and they have been in service since November. By May id expect all North Wales-Manchester/Liverpool and Conwy Valley to all be 197 with the possibility of some North Wales-Cardiff and Cardiff-Manchester maybe.

I think December is more realistic for all Manchester-South Wales to be replaced by 197s.

I thought the Cambrian wasnt getting them until well into 2024?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jan 2023 ==

I can only assume that (spare !) staff in the Cardiff area will be concentrated on training for the 231s as a priority as these units seem to be ready and waiting. Maybe fitter training for 197s is progressing ?.

Id imagine that would be the case as once all the 231s can be in service the 769s can be got rid of and id imagine they would prefer to get rid of the 769s rather than 175s! Plus the 170s will need to go to EMT so any sprinters displaced by 231s will be used on Maesteg, Ebbw Vale etc.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I can only assume that (spare !) staff in the Cardiff area will be concentrated on training for the 231s as a priority as these units seem to be ready and waiting. Maybe fitter training for 197s is progressing ?.

Cardiff Mainline and Cardiff Valley lines crew I believe are separate, and as 231s are planned for Valleys work until the 756s come, the Valley lines crew will learn those surely, leaving the Cardiff crew that currently work 175s and that (and the trains to Milford, Manchester and Holyhead) to learn 197s?

 

[Anonymous10]

I can only assume that (spare !) staff in the Cardiff area will be concentrated on training for the 231s as a priority as these units seem to be ready and waiting. Maybe fitter training for 197s is progressing ?.

That'll be valley line drivers main line drivers won't be on 231s yet you would presume

 

[Caaardiff]

197s won't be used in the South for May timetable. Maybe later through the summer depending on how training goes.

 

[Snow1964]

Per twitter, 197 officially being launched at Llandudno today

https://twitter.com/tfwrail

Heddiw rydym yn lansio'n swyddogol ein trenau Dosbarth 197 yn Llandudno

Today we're officially launching our new Class 197 trains at Llandudno

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Per twitter, 197 officially being launched at Llandudno today

https://twitter.com/tfwrail

197007 on its way there with a stick on nameplate apparently. Does anyone know what the name is? Thanks.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2023 ==

EDIT

The name of 197007 is Happy Valley.

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[CaergwrleKen]

197021 made its debut today on the Liverpool circuit

 

[Envoy]

197007 on its way there with a stick on nameplate apparently. Does anyone know what the name is? Thanks.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2023 ==

EDIT

The name of 197007 is Happy Valley.

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What a ‘naff’ name to call a train.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What a ‘naff’ name to call a train.

It's an area on the Great Orme.

 

[Snow1964]

This is official Transport for Wales Press Release
Includes a video

The first of Transport for Wales’ (TfW) brand new £800m fleet of trains was officially launched by Lesley Griffiths MS at a ceremony in North Wales today (26 January).

Built in Wales by leading train manufacturer CAF, the 77 (51 two-car and 26 three-car) new Class 197 trains will become the backbone of TfW’s services across the length and breadth of the Wales and Borders network in the coming years.

Offering Eleather seats, modern air conditioning systems, wider doors and customer information screens, the brand-new trains will play a key role in TfW’s plans to transform the customer experience on its services.

The new trains entered into passenger service on the Conwy Valley line at the end of 2022 and were unveiled at a ceremony at Llandudno railway station today.

First brand new Transport for Wales trains unveiled

The first of Transport for Wales’ (TfW) brand new £800m fleet of trains was officially launched by Lesley Griffiths MS at a ceremony in North Wales today (26 January).

news.tfw.wales

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

 

[AlexNL]

What a ‘naff’ name to call a train.

It's an area on the Great Orme.

And the name was suggested by a schoolgirl from Llandudno

WATCH: Meet Tabitha! The Llandudno schoolgirl who named brand new train

The new trains entered into passenger service on the Conwy Valley line at the end of 2022 and were unveiled at a ceremony at Llandudno railway station today (Thursday, January 26).

www.northwalespioneer.co.uk

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

And the name was suggested by a schoolgirl from Llandudno

It's a well-known cwm on the Great Orme, and is essentially a botanic garden with added attractions, uphill from the pier and easily visited on foot.
As a public park it dates back to 1887 when Lord Mostyn donated it to the town.

Happy Valley - Denbighshire

The 19th-century public gardens at Happy Valley are situated on the east side of the rocky headland, the Great Orme, and afford wide views over Llandudno…

www.parksandgardens.org

The 19th-century public gardens at Happy Valley are situated on the east side of the rocky headland, the Great Orme, and afford wide views over Llandudno Bay. Features include a limestone rockery, a colonnaded walk and a newly-restored camera obscura

Other 197 fleet names will cover places on the Wales & Borders network.

 

[el_lnrd]

Does anyone knows by anychance why the 2 197 are in Landore, as of today they are still coupled.

 

[Anonymous10]

Does anyone knows by anychance why the 2 197 are in Landore, as of today they are still coupled.

Likely there as a central location for Crewe training and a convenient place to store safely without causing an issue on depot?

 

[Geeves]

To be fair to TFW, Northern also had a naming competition but CAF are quite delicate about what is posted onto the side of their trains name wise. I assume this is no different, Happy Valley is quite nice anyway!

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Does anyone knows by anychance why the 2 197 are in Landore, as of today they are still coupled.

Route testing and proving in that area. Will be used for crew training in the near future.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is the opposite side in Welsh maybe; Cwm Hapus perhaps?

 

[Philip]

What a ‘naff’ name to call a train.

Some of the 175 names were more bizarre!

 

[Peter Sarf]

I can see these 197s becoming the valley class. After all how many valleys are there in Wales.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I can see these 197s becoming the valley class. After all how many valleys are there in Wales.

Seeing as they won’t operate on the Valley lines and there’s a dedicated fleet that will, it seems unlikely.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Seeing as they won’t operate on the Valley lines and there’s a dedicated fleet that will, it seems unlikely.

They don't have to work in a valley or even the South Wales Metro Valleys. How many of the Castle Class locomotives worked in/near the relevent castles !. Plus many of the valley names that would spring to mind are not part of the South Wales Metro - Conway Valley for instance. TfW have started with the name "Happy Valley" in Denbigshire.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

They don't have to work in a valley. How many of the Castle Class locomotives worked in castles !

Sure, but the name Castle Set for HSTs would sound very daft if the 150s (but not the HSTs themselves) in the same fleet worked in a Region famously known as the Castles, and on a network known as the Castle lines…

Mind you, this whole naming shebang is speculative anyway.