West Midlands Railway (WMR) has put into operation its new Class 196 train fleet marking the start of the journey from Shrewsbury railway station to Birmingham New Street.
Class 196 train is one of the 26 vehicle fleet featuring intelligent air conditioning, plug and USB chargers at every seat and extra storage space. The trains offer 25% more capacity than the fleet they replace.
“I am delighted to see our Class 196 trains carrying passengers for the first time. With smart air conditioning, power points at every seat and extra space on board, I am certain these trains will prove a hit with passengers,” Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said.
The Class 196 is the first new fleet to be introduced to the West Midlands franchise for more than a decade and is part of WMR’s GBP 690 million (EUR 794.3 million) investment in new trains and infrastructure.
The Class 196 train fleet is manufactured and maintained by the Spanish manufacturer CAF, at its UK based factory in Newport and will replace the near 20-year-old diesel fleet. Under the contract, CAF is responsible for the supply of 26 brand-new Class 196 trains. Made up of 80 carriages built in two and four car formations they will help us improve capacity by around 25%.
The fleet will run first on the Shrewsbury Line. Initially a small number of journeys will be run by Class 196s as the new trains are drip-fed into service over coming months. The trains are due to enter service on the Hereford Line next year, connecting Birmingham with destinations including Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Worcester.
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