A
Vivarail
train
has
started
to
carry
passengers
in
North
Wales
this
morning,
more
than
four
months
since
the
rolling
stock
conversion
company
went
into
administration.

Five
Class
230
units
had
been
ordered
for
the
former
Wales
&
Border
franchise
from
Vivarail
in
June
2018,
but
they
have
not
entered
service
until
now
because
Transport
for
Wales
has
been
dealing
with
technical
faults
on
the
trains.

The
first
battery-hybrid
unit
converted
from
former
London
Underground
cars
to
carry
passengers
in
Wales
left
Wrexham
Cantral
at
07.31.
Similar
units
have
been
running
in
the
Isle
of
Wight,
but
London
Northwestern
Railway
withdrew
its
Vivarail
trains
from
the
Bedford
to
Bletchley
line
at
the
start
of
December,
when
Vivarail
appointed
adminstrators.
Bedford-Bletchley
services
have
been
operated
by
rail
replacement
buses
since
then.

Vivarail
has
rebuilt
the
interior
of
the
D78
cars,
equipping
them
with
toilets,
power
sockets,
passenger
information
screens,
WifFi,
bike
racks
and
air
conditioning.

Transport
for
Wales’
chief
commercial
officer
Alexia
Course
said:
‘We’re
delighted
that
the
first
Class
230
train
has
entered
service. 

‘We’re
committed
to
improving
services
between
North
Wales
and
the
Liverpool
City
Region.
We’ve
already
introduced
brand
new
trains
on
services
between
Chester
and
Liverpool,
and
we’re
planning
to
increase
the
frequency
of
services
between
Wrexham
and
Bidston,
as
well
as
providing
a
new
direct
service
between
Llandudno
and
Liverpool
via
the
North
Wales
coast.’