Operations Specialist Tony Essam talks us through AARCPS’s role in the delivery of Transport for Wales’ (TfW) new train depot at Taffs Well near Cardiff…
As part of Transport for Wales upgrade of the railway running from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Coryton, Rhymney and Cwmbargoed (known as the Core Valley Lines), Infrastructure Manager and Maintainer Amey Infrastructure Wales Limited (AIW) was tasked with delivery of a new train maintenance depot at Taffs Well near Cardiff to house TfW’s new fleet of Stadler Class 398 Metrolink tram/trains.
Located just six miles northwest of Cardiff Central Station, the depot was to also act as ‘home’ for the supporting maintenance team as well as TfW subsidiary *TfW Rail Limited’s operations staff, with facilities to include a new maintenance shed with inspection pits, high level gantries, overhead cranage, warehousing, electrical and mechanical workshops, a wheel lathe, bogie wash facility, battery storage and external mechanical train wash. In addition, the new depot was to also feature office accommodation including welfare facilities, meeting rooms, training facilities, plant rooms and server rooms.
But whilst the depot had a scheme plan and design, the delivery team faced a number of operational challenges including no clear plan for how the depot was to be signalled and operated, complicated connections to the main line and no plan to train the required Depot Operations Controllers (signallers).
Enter AARC Professional Services – a rail consultancy run by railway people for railway people and already supporting AIW with operations interface, safety & risk management, Signaller and Electrical Control Room Operator training, directly linked to TfW’s upgrade of the Core Valley Lines. In direct support of the delivery and commissioning of Taffs Well depot, AARCPS was retained to help develop a suitable signalling system for the depot, as well as defining the operational requirements and operator competence to support its commissioning.
Led by myself and supported by a number of AARCPS colleagues as and when required, we worked closely with TfW RL and AIW to:
- Support the design of a viable signalling system
- Define the project scope (including de-scoping where appropriate)
- Support the hazard identification process
- Develop robust operational procedures
- Identify learning needs, working with AARCPS’s Training Specialist Greg Edwards to a) produce the signallers’ briefing notes in support of the final layout b) develop a training programme for the Depot Operations Controllers and c) work closely with the depot team on the production of clear processes and procedures
Unsurprisingly however for an assignment of this nature, the project wasn’t without its challenges. Although the final commissioning date moved to the right, work on the new signalling simulator brought its own set of issues, with physical delivery of the new trains adding urgency to the need to be able to energise and test the depot layout prior to bringing it into use. To counter these issues, we:
- Adapted the method of working to support the signalling commissioning events
- Carried out risk assessments plus a programme of mitigating measures as required
- Identified issues with the simulator and supported the supplier to make the required updates
- Developed a comprehensive set of instructions for the safe operation of the actual depot
As a result of all of the above and four years after AARCPS’s initial engagement, the depot was successfully brought into operational service in October 2024. But what did we learn from the assignment? Certainly one of the more operationally complex projects of AARCPS’ 10 year plus tenure, Taffs Well saw AARCPS working hand in glove with the client to challenge their initial assumptions in respect of what was possible, adapting the project accordingly to manage expectations and absorb changing circumstances and timescales to deliver a realistic programme. As a result, the depot is now up and running and we continue to support AIW and TfW RL with training and operational requirements as part of the ongoing Core Valley Lines Transformation Project.
To read more about the depot itself, visit https://www.amey.co.uk/projects/2023/november/maintenance-depot-design-taffs-well/
*Transport for Wales Rail Limited is a subsidiary of Transport for Wales and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of TfW’s rail network.
