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

[JakeMurphy]

197001 has entered service today .

 

[Steveswan10]

179112 on (I assume the first 3 car 197 on the marches) 1V90 Holyhead to Cardiff

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179112 on (I assume the first 3 car 197 on the marches) 1V90 Holyhead to Cardiff

Sorry ment197112 not 179112

 

[sd0733]

More 6 car proving runs next week on Landore-Cardiff Monday, Swansea area on Tuesday and Swansea to Carmarthen on Wednesday using 197010,013 and 014

There'll also be some Northern ones carried out on Chester-Shrewsbury and Manchester via Earlestown and Stockport Monday and Tuesday using 197110 and 112 again.

After that, the whole route Carmarthen to Manchester/Holyhead will be ready for 6 cars, which will be the maximum in service, although there won't be many if any booked for 6s it enables more 5 car running.

There's a few routes, mostly west of Cardiff and Crewe-Shrewsbury which are all done and tested but are awaiting official sign off for passenger use, there's no issues, just waiting for the official stamp effectively which has taken longer than anticipated hence the changes to 1D97 last minute this week diverted via Wrexham

3 units a week are planned to enter service for the next few weeks followed by 1 a week once the backlog has been cleared but there's a lot of restrictions on the 3 cars at the moment so 2s will be prioritised for now but may Still see the odd 3 car accepted.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

More 6 car proving runs next week on Landore-Cardiff Monday, Swansea area on Tuesday and Swansea to Carmarthen on Wednesday using 197010,013 and 014

There'll also be some Northern ones carried out on Chester-Shrewsbury and Manchester via Earlestown and Stockport Monday and Tuesday using 197110 and 112 again.

After that, the whole route Carmarthen to Manchester/Holyhead will be ready for 6 cars, which will be the maximum in service, although there won't be many if any booked for 6s it enables more 5 car running.

There's a few routes, mostly west of Cardiff and Crewe-Shrewsbury which are all done and tested but are awaiting official sign off for passenger use, there's no issues, just waiting for the official stamp effectively which has taken longer than anticipated hence the changes to 1D97 last minute this week diverted via Wrexham

3 units a week are planned to enter service for the next few weeks followed by 1 a week once the backlog has been cleared but there's a lot of restrictions on the 3 cars at the moment so 2s will be prioritised for now but may Still see the odd 3 car accepted.

Excellent news thanks for the updates!

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks from me for the updates as well, that's really good news across the board

 

[Philip]

Is it realistic to expect 197s to have started working Manchester-South Wales by late August/early September?

 

[Jez]

Having a ride out to Manchester Airport this morning on 197042! Don't think this has been in service long. This is my 3rd 197. Unfortunately didn't see any 3 cars I could have got.

There was a 150 on the other platform heading to North Wales whilst I waited.

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The automated announcements and screens aren't switched on. I think its better without the announcements but quite liked the screens before.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Shiny times at Cardiff Central



(Photo shows 197 & 231 lined up at CDF. Former is terminating from Holyhead, latter is travelling to Bargoed)

 

[Jez]

I was going to upload photo and video from this morning but it won't on here but they are on the Facebook group (197) for those on there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2023 ==

Is it realistic to expect 197s to have started working Manchester-South Wales by late August/early September?

I would hope by September we would see at least 1 diagram switched.to a 197 but its hard to tell really.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I can’t help thinking the guard on the 1523 arrival from Holyhead at Cardiff Central must be a bit desperate, walking through a very busy 2 car checking tickets between Newport and Cardiff of all stretches.

 

[Jez]

After having a ride on a 197 again after 4 months since the last I do still think they will be a good successor to the 175s/158s.

Just got to wait patiently now for them to fully replace the 175s.

 

[Krokodil]

I can’t help thinking the guard on the 1523 arrival from Holyhead at Cardiff Central must be a bit desperate, walking through a very busy 2 car checking tickets between Newport and Cardiff of all stretches.

Why shouldn't they be doing their job?

 

[Caaardiff]

I can’t help thinking the guard on the 1523 arrival from Holyhead at Cardiff Central must be a bit desperate, walking through a very busy 2 car checking tickets between Newport and Cardiff of all stretches.

Or just doing their job...

Lots of people think they can get a free ride because of the short distance.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Or just doing their job...

Lots of people think they can get a free ride because of the short distance.

I mean good luck to them with both sets of barriers at Newport manned, but yes I see what you mean. You may get defensive or accuse me of criticising, but I wasn’t, I was simply remarking that most TfW guards don’t bother on that stretch.

 

[Krokodil]

I mean good luck to them with both sets of barriers at Newport manned, but yes I see what you mean. You may get defensive or accuse me of criticising, but I wasn’t, I was simply remarking that most TfW guards don’t bother on that stretch.

The word "desperate" does have connotations.

If someone has got through the barriers at Cardiff using a Grangetown ticket, and is planning on getting to Cwmbran, the best place to intercept them before there's not a lot you can do about it is between Cardiff and Newport. Barriers are a blunt tool, they can only determine if a ticket is valid for entry at that station. I deal with quite a lot of fraud involving people who've boarded at barriered stations - it's a fraction of what you'd get if they weren't barriered of course but it's still worth going through.

 

[Anonymous10]

The word "desperate" does have connotations.

If someone has got through the barriers at Cardiff using a Grangetown ticket, and is planning on getting to Cwmbran, the best place to intercept them before there's not a lot you can do about it is between Cardiff and Newport. Barriers are a blunt tool, they can only determine if a ticket is valid for entry at that station. I deal with quite a lot of fraud involving people who've boarded at barriered stations - it's a fraction of what you'd get if they weren't barriered of course but it's still worth going through.

agreed if its practical to do so it makes complete sense.

 

[Cowley]

I think we can probably leave the ticket collection stuff there before it ends up taking this too far of topic. Thanks everyone.

 

[childwallblues]

Or just doing their job...

Lots of people think they can get a free ride because of the short distance.

I thought that there were barriers at both Newport and Cardiff Central?

 

[Caaardiff]

I thought that there were barriers at both Newport and Cardiff Central?

But there isn't at Abergavenny, cwmbran, pontypool. It up to the guard to decide when they check tickets.
Anyway, back on topic.

 

[william.martin]

Is this the first ever 5 car 197 formation in service?

Realtime Trains | 1H87 1430 Holyhead to Warrington Bank Quay | 09/07/2023

Real-time train running information for 1H87 1430 departure from Holyhead to Warrington Bank Quay on 09/07/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Is this the first ever 5 car 197 formation in service?

Realtime Trains | 1H87 1430 Holyhead to Warrington Bank Quay | 09/07/2023

Real-time train running information for 1H87 1430 departure from Holyhead to Warrington Bank Quay on 09/07/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

No, one ran with 110 and 043 last weekend.

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481784582093228/permalink/3528752914063041/

This photo has just been shared of a 3 car 197 outside the CAF Factory at Llanwern Newport. It is a private group so you may have to join to see, but I'll post a screenshot below.

 

[Anonymous10]

No, one ran with 110 and 043 last weekend.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2023 ==

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481784582093228/permalink/3528752914063041/

This photo has just been shared of a 3 car 197 outside the CAF Factory at Llanwern Newport. It is a private group so you may have to join to see, but I'll post a screenshot below.

I quite like that made in Wales livery.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No, one ran with 110 and 043 last weekend.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2023 ==

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1481784582093228/permalink/3528752914063041/

This photo has just been shared of a 3 car 197 outside the CAF Factory at Llanwern Newport. It is a private group so you may have to join to see, but I'll post a screenshot below.

I think that looks great!

 

[Rhydgaled]

I quite like that made in Wales livery.

Interesting that it does actually say 'Made In Wales' even though that 'factory' is just an assembly plant - Hitachi with their similar plant in the north-east used the strapline 'Made Great In Britain' - a subtle difference.

 

[Neptune]

Interesting that it does actually say 'Made In Wales' even though that 'factory' is just an assembly plant - Hitachi with their similar plant in the north-east used the strapline 'Made Great In Britain' - a subtle difference.

I honestly think that 99.9% of people couldn’t care less about the difference, me included even though I do know the difference. That’s how clever marketing works.

 

[Envoy]

I thought the body shells came from CAF in Spain and that Llanwern just assembled all the components?

Surely Llanwern is the only train assembly plant in the world alongside the railway that sends completed trains out via road?

 

[Anonymous10]

I thought the body shells came from CAF in Spain and that Llanwern just assembled all the components?

Surely Llanwern is the only train assembly plant in the world alongside the railway that sends completed trains out via road?

Due to a gas mains.

 

[The_Train]

Due to a gas mains.

Was it a newly built facility for CAF or an old site that they have taken on?

 

[Anonymous10]

Was it a newly built facility for CAF or an old site that they have taken on?

New build I believe.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I honestly think that 99.9% of people couldn’t care less about the difference, me included even though I do know the difference. That’s how clever marketing works.

Almost everything emerging from Hitachi Newton Aycliffe and CAF Newport is imported (electrics, bogies, diesel power packs etc).
But the same is also true of output from Alstom Derby.
UK suppliers do supply various smaller parts to all the UK assembly plants, and bodyshell welding is available at Newton Aycliffe and Derby.
Hitachi and CAF can build you the same train in multiple locations (eg classes 802, 196).
The MTU power packs for class 80x bi-modes are made in Germany at a plant owned ultimately by Rolls-Royce.
It's a global world.