Transport for Wales unveils £5bn masterplan to transform rail network

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By Ben Jones

RAIL services across Wales will be transformed over the next six years as KeolisAmey and the Welsh Government invest around £5billion in a complete fleet replacement, new stations, electrification and the creation of a higher frequency ‘metro’ network, centred on Cardiff.

Every train in Wales will be replaced as part of an £800million programme, with 50% of the new fleet to be built at CAF’s new £30m factory near Newport.

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CAF will build the TfW ‘Civity’ DMU fleet at its new factory near Newport. Gangway connections will allow units to run in multiple for peak services and also when Cardiff hosts major sporting events.

Almost 150 new trains will be ordered from CAF and Stadler.

CAF is in final negotiations with KeolisAmey to supply and maintain 44 two-car and 26 three-car units for rural and suburban routes across the Principality by September 2022, with a further seven two-car sets to be delivered by September 2024.

Colin Lea, mobilisation director at KeolisAmey Wales/Cymru, said: “These new trains will set a new standard of travel comfort and accessibility for the next decade. They will be made for Wales and by Wales as they will be assembled in a new CAF factory in Newport, creating hundreds of new jobs.”

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Stadler will supply 11 four-car ‘FLIRT’ DEMUs for the Ebbw Vale and Maesteg lines, seven three-car and 17 four-car tri-mode (electric, battery and diesel) ‘FLIRTs’ for the Cardiff
to Rhymney route, and
36 three-car Stadler CityLink 40m-long hybrid (25kV AC/battery) tram-trains to link the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil lines, with a new on-street tram route through the Cardiff Bay area.

Read more and view more images in the July issue of The RM – on sale now!


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