Saturday 29th May saw the final Class 143 Pacer trains in operation on the South Wales valleys network.
After more than 30 years of service, 143601 an 143609 ran their final services marking the end of an era.
Having travelled the equivalent of over five trips to the Moon and back, the Pacer trains have now been replaced by larger more modern trains which also have better accessibility.
New trains are also expected to enter service next year on the Wales and Borders network and South Wales Metro. Testing of the new Class 197 trains began last month.
Some of the Pacers withdrawn from service will be donated to heritage railways and community projects.
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: “The end of the long service of our Pacer trains marks a key step in the transformation of the Valley Lines, as part of the development of the South Wales Metro. While the Pacers have worked hard throughout our network over the last 30 years, our customers deserve more modern trains that provide better facilities, improved accessibility and a more comfortable ride.
“We're working hard behind the scenes to deliver brand new trains to replace the existing fleet, which will provide more capacity and faster, greener journeys in years to come. In the interim, we have introduced the larger Class 769 trains which provide increased capacity and an improved customer experience.”
TfW began withdrawing its Pacers back in December 2020. However, not all of them are heading for the scrapyard. One Pacer has already been donated to the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway in Carmarthenshire, and several more will be donated to heritage railways and community projects over the coming weeks.
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I’ve watched the Pacer farewell video on YouTube and I’m so sad that they are fading away. Plus with TfW who placed a order of the Class 197 Civity along with the Class 231 and Class 756 Flirts which are to enter service from next year or 2023.
Goodbye Class 142, Class 143 and Class 144 Pacers.
Not bad, considering they had their farewell tour on the 6th Oct 2019..! As BR once said “We’re getting there”….!