British Rail Class 197

British Rail Class 197
Civity
A TfW Rail Class 197 at Manchester Piccadilly in 2024
Standard class interior of the Class 197
In service14 November 2022 – present
ManufacturerCAF
Built atNewport, South Wales (body shells imported from Spain)[1]
Family nameCivity
Replaced
Constructed2020–present[2]
Formation2 or 3 cars per unit[3]
(See § Variants)
Capacity
  • 2-car: 116 seats
  • 3-car one-class: 188 seats
  • 3-car two-class: 174 seats
    (16 first-class, 158 standard)[4]
OwnersSMBC Leasing[5]
OperatorsTransport for Wales Rail
Depots
Specifications
Train length
  • 2-car: 48.05 m (157 ft 8 in)
  • 3-car: 71.40 m (234 ft 3 in)[6]
Car length
  • DM cars: 24.03 m (78 ft 10 in)
  • MSL cars: 23.35 m (76 ft 7 in)[4]
DoorsDouble-leaf sliding plug
(2 per side per car)[4]
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Prime mover(s)MTU[1]
(1 per car)
Engine typeTurbo-diesel
Cylinder count6 per engine
Displacement12.8 L (780 cu in) per engine
Power output
  • 375 kW (503 hp) per engine
  • 2-car: 750 kW (1,010 hp)
  • 3-car: 1,125 kW (1,509 hp)
TransmissionZF EcoLife hydromechanical[note 1][1]
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
(Knorr-Bremse EP2002)[1]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemDellner
Multiple workingWithin class
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 197[9] is a class of diesel multiple unit passenger train built by CAF, based on its Civity platform. They are operated by Transport for Wales Rail (TfW), split into 51 two-car units and 26 three-car units.[10]

Seventy-seven Class 197 sets were ordered in 2018 under the franchise obligations made by KeolisAmey Wales, the then-operator of the Wales & Borders franchise. They are based on the Class 195 units that were being received by Arriva Rail North at that time, albeit with various customisations to suit the specification and preferences of KeolisAmey and TfW. This specification was refined to include greater comfort features and to respond to public concerns. Testing of the type commenced shortly after the first completed train arrived at Crewe for commissioning in April 2021.

The first Class 197 set entered service in November 2022 and the type was officially launched two months later. It is planned for the Class 197 to eventually replace Class 158 trains on various regional and regional express routes that form part of the Wales & Borders rail franchise, such as the Cambrian lines. They are also expected to replace Class 150 and 153 units on the Conwy Valley line, and to allow extension of services between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester into both north and south Wales. In February 2024 they were cleared to run on the Maesteg Line and entered service on the Ebbw Valley Line on 29 April 2024.[11][12]

  1. ^ a b c d "First Class 197 DMUs for the Wales and Borders Network". Railvolution. Railway Public s.r.o. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Trains for Wales under construction". Rail Business UK. DVV Media International. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. ^ "TFW Class 197s authorised for duty". Rail Magazine. No. 950. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. 9 February 2022. p. 12.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Rolling Stock Minimum Requirements and Specifications - Sprinter / Rural Service Type was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Sherratt, Philip, ed. (2023). "ROSCO Fleets". Modern Railways: Review 2023. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-80282-569-5.
  6. ^ "Civity Regional Diesel Trains for Wales and Borders". Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. ^ "EcoLife Rail - Powershift Transmission". ZF Products for Rail Vehicles. ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Transport for Wales expands its use of its new fleet". Network News. Rail Magazine. No. 1008. 1 May 2024. p. 24.
  9. ^ Transport for Wales Rail [@tfwrail] (2 December 2019). "Firstly, the new Wales and Borders diesel trains that will be built here in Wales - the Class 197" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2021 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Clinnick, Richard (12 June 2018). "CAF confirmed for new Welsh franchise - all 77 trains to be assembled at Newport". Rail Magazine. Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Brand new trains on the Maesteg line". Transport For Wales News.
  12. ^ Pritchard, Robert (June 2024). "Ebbw Vale launch for 197s". Rolling Stock News. Today's Railways UK. No. 268. p. 61.


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