28 Oct 2022

A state-of the-art simulator is at the heart of a brand-new training facility opened by Transport for Wales.

One City Place in Chester will play a key role in the training of 64 drivers and 56 conductors over the next year and will also be a training hub for station and ticket office staff, dispatchers, and the depot workforce.

The simulator will train drivers to operate the 77 brand new Class 197 trains, the first of which are currently in the final stages of testing and colleague training before entry into service this winter.

Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde, Transport for Wales Managing Director, commented: “We’re delighted to be opening our brand new training facility in Chester

“Chester has a long history as a railway city, dating back to the opening of the first railway here in 1840 – our investment in this new facility a stone’s throw away from the station will ensure it will continue to be an important centre for the rail industry for many years to come

“One City Place been fitted out to a very high standard, to ensure we’re providing the best possible facilities for our colleagues.”

TfW is investing more than £800m in new trains to transform the experience for customers across the Wales and Borders network, allowing TfW to deliver faster, more frequent services with better accessibility and reduced carbon emissions.