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TfW class 398 Stadler Citylink tram trains
- Thread starter Bob Price
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BillStampy
Established Member
Tomorrow will be the opposite whereas a 398 is booked to shuttle on the Bay line the entire day.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I wonder how close are we to three 398s out in passenger service on one day ?.
Will the limit be number of trained crew OR number of accepted 398s....
chargesmith
Member
Based on what I can see in RTT, there will be a 398 out next Sunday which would be a new milestone for the roll out if it happens.
It's a long way away so it's subject to change (especially with the engineering works next week) but checking RTT was how I was able to correctly work out that 2 units would be out this week.
I'll keep an eye out and see if any plans appear to put more than 2 services out on weekdays.
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RTT also says that on the 17th there is planned to be an early morning service from Cardiff Central to Pontypridd - so this could be the first 398 in public service to run on Network Rail infrastructure.
It seems that later in that week it is planned to bring at least one additional unit which will split at Cardiff Central, with at least one going to Pontypridd and at least one going to Queen Street and then into the Bay, mimicing the 150 entry into service from Cardiff Canton Depot.
(I believe the 398s are designed to be capable of running three in multiple, but only for empty stock moves and not in public service).
It's a long way away so it's subject to change (especially with the engineering works next week) but checking RTT was how I was able to correctly work out that 2 units would be out this week.
I'll keep an eye out and see if any plans appear to put more than 2 services out on weekdays.
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That must mean that the wires are live.
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RTT also says that on the 17th there is planned to be an early morning service from Cardiff Central to Pontypridd - so this could be the first 398 in public service to run on Network Rail infrastructure.
It seems that later in that week it is planned to bring at least one additional unit which will split at Cardiff Central, with at least one going to Pontypridd and at least one going to Queen Street and then into the Bay, mimicing the 150 entry into service from Cardiff Canton Depot.
(I believe the 398s are designed to be capable of running three in multiple, but only for empty stock moves and not in public service).
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398030 arriving at the bay yesterday morning… couldn’t hear the pantograph retract but was down at Queen Street where I got off…
Attachments
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Nice photo.
It is really hitting home to me that they are in one of my stamping grounds - the bay (well not so in that they get wet !).
I don't think they've published anything to even acknowledge they're in passenger service yet. I think the question is how many units are needed to run the treherbert diagrams? I suspect that'll be the route that switches first, given they want to extend the pontypridd service up there too.
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Nice to see them finally using the wires down there.
If they do run on network rail track soon that'll be a big milestone to show they're capable of actually making these things work in practice for their end plan.
Even if it's only a few units that are up to scratch hopefully they'll have worked out exactly the changes that need making the other units and they can get on with doing that.
EveningStarr
Member
I wonder if they'll prioritise putting 398s on other Taff diagrams or extending the Pontypridd services to get Treherbert up to 4tph first? Am I right in thinking it would need an additional 4 diagrams for Treherbert-Bay? To slot these in with the current shuttle run up to Queen Street before going back Up the valley, it'll have to be only a single 3-car unit due to the length of platform 1.
StripeyNick
Member
Newbie in service today. 398018 showing on the Bay shuttle
Peter Sarf
Established Member
tfw756rider
On Moderation
Thanks for letting us know
The entry-to-service of 398018 'today' (Mon 10/8/26) now means that 8 (of 36) 398s have been in service:
398017-018, 398022, 398024, 398028-031
The number of 398s still to enter service is down to 28:
398001-016, 398019-021, 398023, 398025-027, 398032-036
=============================
The overall number of new Transport for Wales (TfW) trains that have been in service is now up to 119 (of 148):
76 (of 77) 197s
All 11 231s
8 (of 36) 398s
All 24 756s
This leaves 29 new TfW trains still to enter service:
1 197
28 398s
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New YouTube video from Colin Prosser that starts out with Class 398s at Cardiff Central on Mon 10/8/26 (and has more clips of them at around 9 and 10 minutes):
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Daniel Boone
Member
With the closure of all lines past Radyr, the Bay diagram is continuing to be operated exclusively by 398s shuttling between QS and the Bay.
Today, 017 was running the service until a problem with it's brakes at ∼16:30 this afternoon (according to RTT)
028 is booked for the rest of the day, not sure if this was originally planned or whether it's reactionary. Yesterday's bookings suggest the latter.
Apologies, I should've been more precise in my language - there are currently no passenger services beyond Radyr*
Today, 017 was running the service until a problem with it's brakes at ∼16:30 this afternoon (according to RTT)
028 is booked for the rest of the day, not sure if this was originally planned or whether it's reactionary. Yesterday's bookings suggest the latter.
Apologies, I should've been more precise in my language - there are currently no passenger services beyond Radyr*
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norbitonflyer
Established Member
How are they getting to and from Taffs Well depot if the line is closed beyond Radyr?
Presumably it's actually closed somewhere north of Taffs Well but Radyr is a more appropriate place to terminate passenger services.
I was wondering the same thing earlier and looked at Traksy but there are no closures shown which is a little surprising.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Considering there are ECS shunts from Radyr to Radyr via Taffs Well (ie
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V05804/2026-08-11/detailed#allox_id=0) the line must be open to at least Taffs Well.
I presume the crossover being used at Taffs Well isn't a permitted passenger move
Happened to see 398016 and 023 under test at Cardiff central today. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V24912/2026-08-12/detailed#allox_id=1
chargesmith
Member
They do seem to be doing a lot of testing on NR infrastructure lately, likely due to the TAM closure but good to see nonetheless.
trainspotter4
Member
Seems like another unit has made it out on testing (to Cardiff Central and back) overnight, 398011, the earliest (oldest) unit to be seen out on testing so seems like modifications to the older delivered units must be progressing.
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BillStampy
Established Member
Fantastic. Both units running the entire day too.
chargesmith
Member
I saw 033 on the A470 side of the depot this morning, might make a testing appearance soon.
001 is in what some think is the wheel lathe siding but I think it's been there for a while.
001 is in what some think is the wheel lathe siding but I think it's been there for a while.
StripeyNick
Member
Have had word to say there should be 3x 398s out from Wednesday
Great to hear.
Given all the doom and gloom we were hearing about the units from one contributor (who has gone strangely quiet for the last month), it's really positive that there seems to be slow but steady progress in rolling the units out.
BillStampy
Established Member
Weird that the moment they start rolling out in larger numbers with few failures that said contributor who said so many different things about the units and how awful they would be has vanished. Good to see them rolling out in bigger numbers and hopefully that means a positive outlook for December when a significantly larger workload is required. It just means all the fleets can move to their retrospective lines (i.e. 231s Mainline, 756s on the Rhymney line, 197s off Maesteg/Ebbw/Cheltenham to elsewhere...)
Wonder if we'll see one be used on the TAM lines before the December timetable!
The job lot of portable showers must have been delivered
BillStampy
Established Member
3 units. Today 2 of the diagrams are 398s and one is a 150. If a 3rd 398 is sent out that'll mark the end of 150s on the Cardiff Bay branch, assuming none need to be called in to help.
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
Mind you, when I left Cardiff (lived there 2021-2024), they weren’t regular on the line anyway. Used to be a 153/9 Mon-Sat and a 150 on Sundays.