Arriva Trains Wales - Arriva Trains Wales Rolling Stock - F

 

 

Arriva Trains Wales services were exclusively operated by diesel trains. This was largely due to there being no electrified railway lines in Wales at the time of the franchise. Arriva Trains Wales operated a fleet of 125 diesel multiple units. It also leased three locomotive-haul units for express services between Holyhead and Cardiff, and had occasionally used hired-in locomotives to run extra services for sporting events.

 

ATW inherited a fleet of Class 142, 143, 150, 153, 158 and 175s from Wales & Borders. The Class 175s were a common-user fleet, with 11 required by First TransPennine Express each day.

 

In the early years of the franchise, ATW operated locomotive-hauled services using Mark 2 carriages on services from Cardiff Central to Rhymney and Fishguard Harbour hauled by English Welsh & Scottish Class 37s and FiftyFund Class 50s, and from Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead hauled by Freightliner Class 47s and Virgin Trains Class 57s. ATW built up a fleet of 20 Mark 2 carriages to operate these; all had been withdrawn by 2007, most of them being stored at Long Marston.

 

Following the delivery of new stock to First TransPennine Express in 2006, all of the Class 175s became available to ATW, resulting in 16 Class 158s being released for transfer to other operators.

 

In 2006, heritage unit 121032 was purchased by ATW for use on the Cardiff Bay Shuttle. The unit was overhauled by LNWR, Crewe, entering service with ATW on 17 August 2006. In 2013, the unit suffered an engine failure. This could not be rectified, meaning that the unit was withdrawn. It was then used as a source of spare parts by sister company Chiltern Railways.

 

In November 2007, another nine Class 150s were transferred from Central Trains. From February 2008, five Class 150s (150278-282) were subleased to First Great Western. This was later reduced to four and then two, the last examples being returned during 2011.

 

In December 2008, the loco-hauled Holyhead to Cardiff Premier Service was inaugurated. It was initially hauled by Class 57s on hire from Virgin Trains, initially in top-and-tail formation and later singularly, hauling three standard class MK2s and a MK3 first/buffet. Four Class 57s were repainted at Cardiff Canton and six Mark 2s were refreshed at Eastleigh Works.

 

During March 2012, newer Class 67 locomotives took over from the Class 57s, and Mark 3 carriages refurbished by Pullman Rail replaced the older Mark 2s in October 2012.

 

From October 2011 until August 2012, 150280 was subleased to National Express East Anglia/Abellio Greater Anglia. In December 2014, a further Mark 3 set was introduced on services from Manchester Piccadilly-Holyhead/Llandudno.

 

 

143   1985–1986

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriva Trains Wales Franchise(s): Wales & Borders