LOCO-hauled coaches for an accelerated daily service between North and South Wales went from storage to service in just three months.

The new service, from Holyhead to Cardiff in the morning and back in the evening, began on 15 December. The Welsh Assembly Government announced in October that Arriva Trains Wales would operate the service. Fortunately, ATW had gambled on winning the contract and started preparations in September.

The train, pictured left, consists of a Class 57 loco at each end, three Arriva Mk2 standard class coaches and a Mk3 restaurant car with first class seating, hired from Cargo D. The ensemble bears a new Arriva livery.

Passengers on the first run were impressed with the quality. Lord Elis-Thomas, the Welsh Assembly’s Presiding Officer, even likened it to the 1960s South Wales Pullman.

Just a few months earlier the coaches had looked a sorry site after open-air storage at Long Marston, Warwickshire.

“When we saw the state of this vehicle at Long Marston, there were a few gasps,” said Mike Bagshaw, ATW’s commercial director, who also travelled on the inaugural run. “A lot of work has gone into it in a short space of time.”

Work on the standard class vehicles included new carpets, seat covers and entrance mats. Mr Bagshaw said: “They’re a lot better than when they were running up and down the Rhymney line.”

The first class section lacks power sockets but Nick Walker, senior consultant at Resco Railways, said installing sockets risked delaying the train’s entry into service.
Resco was formally tasked with preparing the train at its Eastleigh works in mid-Sept-ember. First it had to prepare a rake for crew-training runs. The service vehicles were got ready in the remaining eight weeks. “It’s a real credit to the guys at Eastleigh,” said Mr Walker.

The train has space for about eight bikes and plenty of luggage, and could appeal to people from South Wales who want a holiday in Snowdonia or Anglesey.

However, the train is primarily for business travel and does not operate at weekends.

Breakfast and dinner are cooked on-board for first class passengers. Standard class passengers can buy food made to order from a buffet hatch.