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New trains which are bigger, faster and “more comfortable” than their predecessors have been unveiled at Caerphilly railway station.

The new Class 231 FLIRT trains, which are being introduced along the Rhymney line and across south Wales, are being introduced as part of an £800m investment from Transport for Wales (TfW).

Onboard, the trains feature information screens, charging sockets and air conditioning.

But what difference will these new trains make?

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer at the unveiling on March 29, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, said: “From a passenger point of view these new trains are just so much nicer.

“They’re comfortable, they’re clean and they’re modern. It’s just a much better experience and as we get more and more of them onto the network, you can be confident when you turn up for a train you’ll have a nice modern train and not some leftover that we’ve had for years.”

Mr Waters admitted “things aren’t great on the railway at the moment” but added: “It will get better as these trains come into service and as the Metro comes in, which is a £1bn project, we’ll have much greater frequency.”

He continued: “Caerphilly will be having four trains an hour, which means you can turn up and not worry about the timetable because you can be sure there’ll be a train along before long, and I think that’ll really change people’s decisions about getting in the car or jumping on the train.

“It’s about reliability, predictability and quality of experience.”

The trains have been manufactured by Swiss firm Stadler, whose head of engineering, Urs Bikle, travelled from Zurich to attend the unveiling in Caerphilly.

Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member, Hefin David, said: “I’ve been working closely with TfW on improving rail services in Caerphilly since I was first elected in 2016. To see the introduction of the first new 231’s on the Rhymney line is very exciting, and will immediately benefit people who live and work within my constituency.”

He said the new trains would bring a “much-needed uplift in capacity for residents and ease some of the chaos we see at peak times travelling to and from Cardiff.”

How many extra seats will there be?

Transport for Wales (TfW)’s James Bennett explained the new Class 231 trains, which will always have four carriages, will have capacity for around 423 people including seating and standing, with around 202 seats on each train.

“Currently, a normal two-carriage train would be around 118 seats with capacity of just under 300 so, it’s a step up from the trains we were running before.”

He also said the new trains will bring with them faster journeys due to them being able to accelerate faster.

“After the electrification of the Rhymney line is completed by around 2024, there will be timetable improvements in 2025.

“Rhymney to Cardiff will be about 50 minutes instead of around an hour now, so it’s quite a significant reduction.”

What about disabled access?

The new trains have level boarding access, meaning wheelchair users and parents with prams can get onto the train without the need for a ramp.

Martyn Brennan, Operations Director for TfW, said: “It takes a level of stress away from everyone. It’s a leap forward in what people can expect.”

Mining heritage recognised

The Class 231 train unveiled in Caerphilly on Wednesday has been named ‘Sultan’ – a name chosen by competition winner Morgan Daniel.

Morgan, 12, who attends Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, chose the winning name as part of a TfW competition, while he was a pupil at Ystrad Mynach’s Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Allta.

The name is a nod to Parc Penallta’s Sultan the Pit Pony.

Morgan said: “I wanted to name it Sultan after the sculpture in Penallta Park, which is to memorialise the ponies that worked and died in the pits.

“Since it’s so close to where I live, my friends live and where my school was, I wanted to name it after our local heritage and culture.”