£200m taxpayer-funded trains sit barely used for three years
Summary
Transport for Wales has spent more than £200m on 36 tram-trains for the South Wales Metro, but most are not yet in passenger service. The operator now expects the full fleet to be running by the end of 2027, five years later than originally planned, citing testing and reliability issues.Key Facts
- The tram-trains were ordered from Swiss manufacturer Stadler in 2018, and the first arrived in Wales in March 2023.
- Six of the 36 trains are currently being tested with passengers across the valleys network.
- Sixteen trains have passed statutory safety testing; 20 have not completed it.
- The trains cost about £8m each and can run on both urban streets and rail lines.
- Testing has taken between six weeks and two years for individual vehicles, according to data obtained by the BBC.
- Transport for Wales says software problems and early reliability challenges have led to some trains being temporarily withdrawn from service.
- The operator says it aims to increase services from two to four trains an hour on routes between Cardiff and Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert by the end of 2027.
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