Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 4 December 2019.
Absolutely, and the Member is very right. I think his constituents deserve to know how many additional trains will be on that important railway line in the coming months and years. But, if I can just pick up on the very important point of the request for derogation on the persons of reduced mobility legislation requirements, it should be noted, Dirprwy Lywydd, that we are not alone. We understand that many other train operating companies, including Scot Rail, Great Western Railway, Northern, and East Midlands Trains are in a similar position, and they are understood to be seeking a dispensation to operate significant numbers of non-PRM-compliant trains into 2020. I am pleased to be able to inform Members that, as far as I'm concerned, all work has been completed satisfactorily by officials here and in London, and we now await the Secretary of State's approval as soon as the general election has been concluded, whoever that Secretary of State might be. I have to say though, Diprwy Lywydd, that it is our view that the decision needn't have been pushed back beyond 12 December and could have been made during the election period.
Turning to services on the Rhymney line, I am aware, so too are TfW, about concerns regarding capacity. I can inform the Member that Pacer trains will be focused as four-carriage trains on the majority of Rhymney line services from the 15 December timetable change, with the class 37 loco-hauled trains continuing to operate as the larger and, it has to be said, far more modern class 769s are introduced in 2020. Transport for Wales will be introducing nine class 769 units, which will be dedicated to the Rhymney line. These will each have four carriages and will therefore have a capacity of 558 per train. That compares to the total capacity of four Pacer carriages of 422 and to the total capacity of the loco-hauled trains of around 320.
Of course, in 2023, those new Stadler tri-mode fast, light inter-city and regional trains will be introduced on the network and on the Rhymney line. I can assure the Member that TfW are always reviewing projections for the number of customers utilising services, and they can act flexibly to ensure that capacity can be increased if demand requires it.