Background

Operator KeolisAmey Wales took over the Wales & Borders franchise from Arriva Trains Wales in October 2018. As part of their franchise award, KeolisAmey were required to fully replace the various fleets of trains used to operate the franchise, several of which had originally been inherited from British Rail.^[11] Orders were placed with a number of manufacturers for new units, including one for 77 new Civity-family DMUs from Spanish firm Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). These were based on the Class 195 units that CAF had started delivering to Arriva Rail North earlier in 2018, and were also assembled at CAF's new factory in Newport.^[12] Entry into service was expected between 2021 and 2023.^[12] Unlike Class 195 units, however, the TfW-ordered DMUs have gangway connections at their ends allowing passengers and crew to move freely between coupled units.

In January 2020, WalesOnline reported that, based on minutes from Transport for Wales board meetings, the organisation had "raised concerns" that the seats specified by KeolisAmey and CAF for the Class 197 order could be considered uncomfortable by passengers. The same model of seat is used on the Class 700 trains employed on Thameslink services in and around London, where some passengers—particularly those making longer journeys—have described them as being like "ironing boards". TfW argued that these would be "unsuitable for long distance journeys", which could last up to three hours on services operated by Class 197 trains, but noted that it did not have a "strong legal argument" to compel KeolisAmey and CAF to change the specification.^[13] TfW eventually paid an additional £1.9 million to upgrade to higher-specification Fainsa Sophia seats,^[14] although these seats have themselves been the subject of some criticism from passengers of Great Western Railway trains to which they are also fitted.^[13][15]

Separately, a passenger advocacy group challenged the fact that TfW had specified only one toilet for each two-car Class 197 unit and two for each three-car unit;^[14] a reduction from the one-toilet-per-car configuration on TfW's existing long-distance Class 158 and 175 trains.^[3] The group also noted that the Rail Delivery Group's industry guideline for inter-urban trains throughout the UK states that there should be at least one toilet per 85 passengers, and a minimum of two toilets per train regardless of passenger capacity; but that two-car 197s would satisfy neither of these recommendations and that three-car 197s could exceed the 85-passengers-per-toilet ratio when near to fully loaded.^[14] TfW stated in response that many services would be operated by two-car Class 197s working as pairs, reducing the number of potential single-toilet services.^[16]

Entry to service

During December 2019, the Class 197 designation was assigned and, on 14 April 2021, the first completed train—a two-car unit numbered 197001—arrived at Crewe for commissioning.^[17][18] Testing of the type commenced soon thereafter.^[19] On 18 January 2022, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) granted authorisation for 20 two-car and 12 three-car Class 197 sets to enter passenger use; these initial units were not equipped to use the European Train Control System (ETCS) fitted on most of the subsequent fleet.^[2][20]

Unit 197004 was the first to enter passenger service, doing so on 14 November 2022.^[21] That same month, the ORR authorised 21 Class 197 units fitted with CAF Signalling’s onboard ETCS at Baseline 3 Release 2 and GSM-R Baseline 1 for operation in ETCS Level 2 and below under recently-introduced regulations.^[20] During January 2023, the Class 197 was officially launched at a ceremony officiated by Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths and held at Llandudno railway station.^[22][23]

Variants

The order for the fleet is divided into four variants, as follows:^[24]

• 30 units formed of two cars (DMSL-DMS) with standard-class seating only, without ETCS;
• 21 units formed of two cars (DMSL-DMS) with standard-class seating only, with ETCS;^{[note 2]}
• 12 units formed of three cars (DMSL-MSL-DMS) with standard-class seating only, without ETCS;^[24]
• 14 units formed of three cars (DMSL-MSL-DMC) with a small section of "Standard Premium" seating in the DMC car, without ETCS. These are primarily intended for use between Swansea and Manchester.^[3]

Two-car units will be able to run in multiple with up to three other two-car units, while three-car units will be able to run in multiple with up to two other three-car units.^[3]

Named units

TfW organised the Magnificent Train Journey competition, aimed at primary school children, to name its Class 197 sets.^[22]

197007 - Happy Valley^[28]

197049 - Castell Caeriw Cyflym | Carew Castle Express^[29]