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Franchise(s):	Wales and borders 2003 – 2018
Main Region(s):	Wales
Other Region(s):	West Midlands, North West
Fleet size:	135
Stations:	235 operated
Parent company:	Arriva Group
Web site:	www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk

Arriva Trains Wales (Welsh: Trenau Arriva Cymru) is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches.

In August 2005 the company was amongst the five worst performing train operators in the United Kingdom.^[1] In October 2006 the company was seventh best (out of 21 companies) with an above average 89.9% of trains 'on time' according to Network Rail statistics.^[2]

The company was formed when Wales and West was split into Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains. Initially both were operated by National Express Group, which presently owns seven of the UK’s 25 operators. Arriva won the Wales and Borders franchise in 2003 and promptly renamed the company Arriva Trains Wales.

They operate almost all services in Wales, with the exception of long distance express services linking London Paddington to Swansea and West Wales via Cardiff (operated by First Great Western) and those linking London Euston to North Wales (operated by Virgin Trains). Additionally some local and regional services from South-West England to Newport and Cardiff are operated by First Great Western, and Central Trains operate a Cardiff to Nottingham via Gloucester service.

Contents 1 Routes 1.1 Main routes 1.2 Secondary and rural routes 1.3 (Valley Lines network) - Services within Cardiff and throughout the Valleys and Vale of Glamorgan 1.4 Other services 2 Major stations served 3 Rolling stock 4 References

Arriva Trains Wales's main routes are centred on Cardiff as well as their major interchange stations in England at Shrewsbury, Chester and Crewe.

The company started services to the new Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station in June 2005. Frequent bus services run to the departure terminal from the station.

The company withdrew its services from Wales to the South West of England in December 2005.

Arriva Trains Wales also operates one service a day (Monday-Saturday) which is routed via the Swansea District Line, a route normally used only by freight trains. This is the day service to Fishguard Harbour, usually operated by a 158 in the winter and a Class 50 with Mark 2 coaches in the summer. The trains are routed via the Swansea district line for driver training for the event of diversions over the line. This is propbably why Arriva operate the Fishguard flyer over the district line as opposed to operating it via the Landore loop.

• North Wales Coast Line (Crewe-Chester-Holyhead)
• South Wales Main Line (Newport-Cardiff Central-Swansea Swanline service)
• Chester to Manchester Line (Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Oxford Road-Warrington Bank Quay-Chester-Llandudno service)
• Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury (Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton-Telford Central-Shrewsbury)
• Welsh Marches Line (Milford Haven-Cardiff Central-Newport-Shrewsbury-Crewe-Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly) and (Cardiff Central-Shrewsbury-Chester-Holyhead)
• Shrewsbury to Chester Line (Shrewsbury-Wrexham-Chester)

• Cambrian Line (Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth/Pwllheli)
• Conwy Valley Line (Llandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog)
• Gloucester-Newport (Continuing on to Maesteg via Cardiff)
• Heart of Wales Line (Llanelli-Craven Arms-Shrewsbury)
• West Wales Line (Swansea-Llanelli-Carmarthen-Pembroke/Milford Haven/Fishguard)
• Borderlands Line (Wrexham Central-Bidston)

• Butetown Branch Line
• Cardiff City Line
• Coryton Line
• Ebbw Valley Line
• Maesteg Line
• Merthyr Line
• Rhondda Line
• Rhymney Line
• Vale of Glamorgan Line

For special events such as Football or Rugby matches, Arriva is known to operate additional services to the venue of one or both sides playing. Arriva has arranged in the past a stopping service to Edinburgh Waverley, Liverpool Lime Street and through services to Stratford. Numerous other services have been operated. Arriva usually operates shuttle services to Newport on match days. All of these services have been operated using locos and hauled stock - usually on loan. It is expected to continue in this fashion.

• Birmingham New Street
• Cardiff Central
• Cardiff Queen Street
• Carmarthen
• Chester
• Crewe
• Hereford
• Llandudno Junction
• Shrewsbury
• Swansea
• Milford Haven
• Newport
• Manchester Piccadilly
• Manchester Oxford Road
• Telford Central railway station
• Warrington Bank Quay

Arriva Trains Wales currently operate a fleet of 120 diesel multiple units.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Unit numbers	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 121		diesel multiple unit	70	112	1	Butetown Branch Line	121032	1960
Class 142 Pacer		diesel multiple unit	75		15	Valley Lines Cardiff - Swansea via the Swanline	142002 / 006 / 010 / 069 / 072 - 077 / 080 - 083 / 085	1985
Class 143 Pacer		diesel multiple unit	75		16	Valley Lines Cardiff - Carmarthen	143601 /602 / 604 - 610 / 614 / 616 / 622 - 625 (613 was scrapped following a fire)	1985
Class 150 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	75	120	27	Valley Lines Borderlands Line branch lines	150208 / 230 / 236 / 240 / 241 / 242 / 245 / 250 / 251 / 252 / 253 / 254 / 256 / 258 - 260 / 262 / 264 / 267 / 278 - 285	1984 - 1987
Class 153 Super Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	75	120	10	Heart of Wales Line Swanline Borderlands Line	153310 / 312 / 320 / 321 / 323 / 327 / 353 / 361 / 362 / 367	1987 - 1988
Class 158 Express Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	90	145	24	long-distance services	158818 - 841	1989 - 1992
Class 175 Coradia		diesel multiple unit	100		27	Cardiff - Holyhead Swansea - Manchester Cardiff - Milford Haven & Carmarthen	175001 - 011 / 175101 - 116	1999 - 2001

In addition to this, Arriva Trains Wales currently provide some services on the Rhymney Line with locomotives (on hire from EWS) and Mark 2 coaches.

On 10 December 2006, ATW received 8 Class 150s from First Great Western due to a reduction in their DMU stock, these being sets: 150230/236/240/241/242/251/253/254.

• 4 will operate on the Borderlands Line (Wrexham Central-Bidston)
• 4 will enter service on South Wales valley routes for use on the restored Ebbw Valley Line from summer 2007

Preceded by Wales and Borders

Operator of Wales and Borders franchise 2003-present

Succeeded by N/A

v • d • e Current scheduled passenger train operators in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Domestic:	Arriva Trains Wales - c2c - Central Trains1 - Chiltern Railways - First Capital Connect First Great Western - First ScotRail - Grand Central2 - GNER - Heathrow Connect Hull Trains - Island Line3 - Merseyrail - Midland Mainline1 - Northern Rail Northern Ireland Railways4 - 'one' - Silverlink1 - Southeastern - Southern South West Trains - TransPennine Express - Virgin Trains (VWC - VXC1)
International:	Enterprise4 - Eurostar
Airport Link:	Gatwick Express - Heathrow Express - Stansted Express5
Sleeper:	Caledonian Sleeper6 - Night Riviera7
1 Ends November 2007 - 2 Starts 20 May 2007 - 3 Operated by South West Trains 4 Operated on the Irish railway network - 5 Operated by 'one' - 6 Operated by First ScotRail 7 Operated by First Great Western

Future passenger train operators and franchises in Great Britain
New Franchises:	Cross Country1 - East Midlands1 - InterCity East Coast - London Overground1 West Midlands1
Proposed open-access operators:	Glasgow Trains2 - Grand Union2 - Humber & City2 - Wrexham & Shropshire3
1 Starts November 2007 - 2 Proposed - 3 Awaiting Approval