ARRIVA TRAINS WALES

'Arriva Trains Wales' () is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches.

Contents

Description

Performance

Routes

Main routes

Secondary and rural routes

Cardiff and Valleys Local Services

Other services

Major stations served

Rolling stock

References

External Links

Description

The company was formed when Wales and West was split into Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains. Initially both were operated by National Express Group, which presently owns seven of the UK’s 25 operators. Arriva won the Wales and Borders franchise in 2003 and promptly renamed the company Arriva Trains Wales.
They operate almost all services in Wales, with the exception of long distance express services linking London Paddington to Swansea and West Wales via Cardiff (operated by First Great Western) and those linking London Euston to North Wales (operated by Virgin Trains). Additionally some local and regional services from South-West England to Newport and Cardiff are operated by First Great Western, and Central Trains operate a Cardiff to Nottingham via Gloucester service.

Performance

In August 2005 the company was amongst the five worst performing train operators in the United Kingdom.^[1] However, by October 2006 the company was ranked seventh best (out of 21 companies) with an above average 89.9% of trains 'on time' according to Network Rail statistics.^[2] Arriva have built on their successful improvements and the latest figures released by the ORR (Office of Rail Regulation) rate punctuality at 90.9% for the last quarter of the 2006/7 financial year^[3]

Routes

Arriva Trains Wales's main routes and services are centred at Cardiff as well as their major interchange stations in England at Chester, Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and Shrewsbury.
The company started services to the new Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station in June 2005. Frequent bus services run to the departure terminal from the station.
The company withdrew its services from Wales to the South West of England in December 2005.
Arriva Trains Wales also operates one service a day (Monday-Saturday) which is routed via the Swansea District Line, a route normally used only by freight trains. This is the day service to Fishguard Harbour, usually operated by a 158. The trains are routed via the Swansea district line for driver training for the event of diversions over the line.

Main routes

★ North Wales Coast Line (Crewe-Chester-Llandudno Junction-Bangor-Holyhead) with services from either Crewe, Cardiff Central, Manchester Piccadilly or Birmingham New Street.

★ South Wales Main Line (Newport-Cardiff Central-Swansea Swanline service)

★ Chester to Manchester Line (Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Oxford Road-Warrington Bank Quay-Chester) with most hourly services continuing to Llandudno and two services a day terminating at Holyhead

★ Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury (Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton-Telford Central-Shrewsbury) with most services continuing towards either Aberystwyth and Pwllheli on the Cambrian Line or Chester via Wrexham on the Shrewsbury to Chester line. One train a day carries on to Holyhead.

★ Welsh Marches Line (Newport-Hereford-Shrewsbury) from either Milford Haven, Carmarthen or Cardiff Central and then on towards either Crewe, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly, or Wrexham, Chester, Llandudno Junction and Holyhead

Secondary and rural routes

★ Cambrian Line (Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth/Pwllheli)

★ Conwy Valley Line (Llandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog)

★ Gloucester-Newport (Continuing on to Maesteg via Cardiff)

★ Heart of Wales Line (Llanelli-Craven Arms-Shrewsbury)

★ West Wales Line (Swansea-Llanelli-Carmarthen-Pembroke/Milford Haven/Fishguard)

★ Borderlands Line (Wrexham Central-Bidston)

Cardiff and Valleys Local Services

★ Cardiff Bay

★ Cardiff City Line

★ Coryton Line

★ Ebbw Valley Line

★ Maesteg Line

★ Merthyr Line

★ Rhondda Line

★ Rhymney Line

★ Vale of Glamorgan Line

Other services

For special events such as football or rugby matches, Arriva is known to operate additional services to the venue of one or both sides playing. Arriva has arranged in the past a stopping service to Edinburgh Waverley, Liverpool Lime Street and through services to Stratford. Numerous other services have been operated. Arriva usually operates shuttle services to Newport on match days. All of these services have been operated using locos and hauled stock - usually on loan. It is expected to continue in this fashion.

Major stations served

★ Birmingham New Street

★ Cardiff Central

★ Cardiff Queen Street

★ Carmarthen

★ Chester

★ Crewe

★ Hereford

★ Llandudno Junction

★ Shrewsbury

★ Swansea

★ Milford Haven

★ Newport

★ Manchester Piccadilly

★ Manchester Oxford Road

★ Telford Central

★ Warrington Bank Quay

★ Wrexham General

Rolling stock

Arriva Trains Wales currently operate a fleet of 120 diesel multiple units.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Unit numbers	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 121 ''Bubble car''		diesel multiple unit	70	112	1	Cardiff Bay Line	121032	1960
Class 142 ''Pacer''		diesel multiple unit	75	120	15	Valley Lines Cardiff - Swansea (Swanline)	142002 / 006 / 010 / 069 / 072 - 077 / 080 - 083 / 085	1985
Class 143 ''Pacer''		diesel multiple unit	75	120	15	Valley Lines Swanline	143601 /602 / 604 - 610 / 614 / 616 / 622 - 625 (613 was scrapped following a fire)	1985
Class 150 ''Sprinter''		diesel multiple unit	75	120	27	Valley Lines Borderlands Line	150208 / 230 / 236 / 240 - 242 / 245 / 250 - 254 / 256 / 258 - 260 / 262 / 264 / 267 / 278 - 285	1984 - 1987
Class 153 ''Super Sprinter''		diesel multiple unit	75	120	10	Heart of Wales Line Swanline Borderlands Line	153310 / 312 / 320 / 321 / 323 / 327 / 353 / 361 / 362 / 367	1987 - 1988
Class 158 ''Express Sprinter''		diesel multiple unit	90	145	24	Aberystwyth, Holyhead & Chester - Birmingham	158818 - 841	1989 - 1992
Class 175 ''Coradia''		diesel multiple unit	100	160	27	Most Express Services	175001 - 011 / 175101 - 116	1999 - 2001

Arriva has expanded its Class 150 fleet, with units cascaded from Scotrail and One Railway early in the franchise. On 10 December 2006, 8 further Class 150s from First Great Western were added, these being sets: 150230/236/240/241/242/251/253/254:

★ 4 will operate on the Borderlands Line (Wrexham Central-Bidston)

★ 4 will enter service on South Wales valley routes for use on the restored Ebbw Valley Line from summer 2007
In 2006 'heritage' unit 121032 was purchased by Arriva for use on the Cardiff Bay Shuttle. The unit has been repainted into Arriva colours and was hauled to Wales in June 2006 to enter service in July. The unit finally entered service on 17 August 2006 but was withdrawn 2 days later due to a major problem with the engine. The unit re-entered service on the Cardiff Bay line on 14 September 2006.
In addition to this, Arriva Trains Wales currently provide some services on the Rhymney Line with locomotives (on hire from EWS) and Mark 2 coaches.

References

External Links

ATW official website