Transport for Wales says rail services will continue to be affected “for the rest of 2022”, following a train fire near Craven Arms in Shropshire on May 22.
A reduced service across the Valleys network, including no trains on the City Line in late May, was the immediate outcome of the damage to a pair of Class 150/2 ‘Sprinter’ two-car diesel multiple units.
But with rail tickets accepted on Cardiff Bus services, and replacement buses for students to and from Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School, TfW admits that its services will continue to be affected, although no further details are yet available.
The 2043 Crewe-Cardiff Central, formed of 150208/242/279, came to a stand shortly after Craven Arms station on May 22, with the first two units having caught fire after hitting a stolen mini digger that had been abandoned on the railway (RAIL 958). A criminal investigation is under way.
The 60mph collision caused major fire damage to the first two units.
‘Sprinters’ are the only trains used on many routes across the network, including the Core Valley Lines to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.
To read the full story, see RAIL 959
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Güntürk Üstün - 03/06/2022 03:10
It was initially thought that the related Transport for Wales Rail Limited (branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail) passenger train may have hit a large object on the track near Craven Arms station on Sunday (22 May) night. But British Transport Police later confirmed the train had crashed into a mini digger which had been abandoned on the line, and believed it had been stolen. What a strange and incredible railway accident situation! And it is truly a wonder that nobody was hurt! Dr. Güntürk Üstün
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Güntürk Üstün - 03/06/2022 06:40
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" is a two or three-car diesel multiple-unit passenger trains developed and constructed by BREL York between 1984 and 1987 for use on regional services across the UK. The type is a second-generation design, built to more modern standards and based on BR's Mark 3 body design for longer-distance services. Following privatisation, Wales & Borders continued to use the fleet of Class 150 units on branch-line services as well as on the commuter services around Cardiff known as the Valley Lines and the Vale of Glamorgan Line. The units transferred to Arriva Trains Wales in December 2003, with more later acquired for the reopened Ebbw Vale line. All of the ATW units were transferred to Transport for Wales in October 2018. Dr. Güntürk Üstün
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Cliff Beeton - 05/06/2022 16:38
Get the Class 230s in service on the Wrexham-Bidston line and you have 2 free Sprinters straight away.Put another Class 230 on the Crewe-Chester shuttle and you have another unit spare.
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