Rolling stock › In serviceData updated
Class 756 FLIRT
Stadler FLIRTs that can run from overhead wires, batteries or diesel: the first tri-mode trains in passenger service in Britain, from November 2024. They brought electric trains to the Valley Lines north of Cardiff; as the Class 398 tram-trains take over there, they are to move to the Rhymney and Vale of Glamorgan lines. They were ordered from Stadler in January 2019, with the Class 231s. The first carried passengers in the week before TfW's launch on 18 November 2024, on the Merthyr and Aberdare lines, and all 24 were in service by the end of September 2025.
Scale
265 ft (80.7 m) over couplers
Class 756 FLIRT · schematic drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/756/ · CC BY 4.0
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- Type
- Tri-mode multiple unit (electric, battery and diesel)
- Builder
- Stadler, Bussnang (Switzerland)
- Family
- FLIRT, with Class 231 FLIRT, Class 745 FLIRT, Class 755 FLIRT
- In service
- since 2024
- Operators
- Transport for Wales
- Formation
- 3 or 4 passenger cars with a short power pack car: 213 ft (65.0 m; 756/0) or 265 ft (80.7 m; 756/1)
- Trains in fleet
- 24
- Fleets
- Transport for Wales: 24
- Top speed
- 75 mph (121 km/h)
- Power
- 25 kV AC overhead, traction batteries, or 480 kW of diesel generation in the power pack car, which also carries the batteries; 2,600 kW at the wheel on 25 kV, 1,300 kW on batteries · how it works
- Bogies
- Stadler FLIRT bogies, with Jacobs bogies between cars · drawn with the same bogie component as Class 231 FLIRT, Class 745 FLIRT, Class 755 FLIRT
- Train length
- 265 ft (80.70 m)
- Car height
- 12 ft 10 in (3.915 m)
- Car width
- 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
- Profile
- main-line
- Air-conditioned
- Yes
- Seats per train
- 158
- Total capacity
- Four-car: 158 seats, 32 tip-up and 204 standing. Three-car: 118 seats, 24 tip-up and 148 standing (Stadler; TfW's seat counts agree)
- Status
- In service: 24 units, 7 three-car (756/0) and 17 four-car (756/1), all in service since September 2025: on the Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert lines in September 2026, and between Coryton, Caerphilly and Penarth since July 2025. Owned by SMBC Leasing and Equitix.
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMS | Driving motor standard (DMS), over the motor bogie | 69 ft 1 in21.05 m | 2 double |
| PTSW | Pantograph trailer standard with wheelchair spaces and toilet (PTSW) | 51 ft 6 in15.70 m | 1 double |
| PP | Power pack car (PP) | 23 ft 7 in7.20 m | |
| PTS | Pantograph trailer standard (PTS), in four-car units | 51 ft 6 in15.70 m | 2 double |
Doorways: 4 ft 3 in (1,300 mm) clear entrance width (Stadler).
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 26 sources from Wikimedia Commons, Stadler, Transport for Wales Rail Ltd and 8 more
- BR Class 745 Triebdrehgestell (photograph, CC0) Wikimedia Commons (Plutowiki), 15 October 2018, at the Velim test circuitthe FLIRT motor bogie's layout (photograph: layout only)
- BR Class 745 Laufdrehgestell (photograph, CC0) Wikimedia Commons (Plutowiki), 15 October 2018, at the Velim test circuitthe FLIRT trailer bogie's layout (photograph: layout only)
- TfW 231008 articulated bogie (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 20 February 2023, Cardiffthe FLIRT Jacobs bogie's layout (photograph: layout only)
- FLIRT tri-mode multiple unit, Transport for Wales (data sheet FWBTRI0922e) Stadler, September 202224 units, 7 three-car and 17 four-car; 213 ft and 265 ft (65,000 and 80,700 mm); width 8 ft 11 in (2,720 mm); height 12 ft 10 in (3,915 mm); floor 3 ft 2 in (960 mm); entrance width 4 ft 3 in (1,300 mm); seats and standing; 25 kV, battery and 480 kW of diesel output, the power pack with integrated traction batteries; 2,600 kW (1,300 kW on battery); 75 mph (121 km/h); ordered January 2019 (p. 2)
- First electric trains to be introduced to South Wales Metro Transport for Wales, 17 November 2024into passenger service 18 November 2024, Merthyr and Aberdare lines first, then Treherbert; first tri-mode trains in UK service
- UK's first tri-mode trains enter service as Transport for Wales 756s make passenger debut RAIL, 18 November 2024the first passengers in the week before 18 November 2024, on the Merthyr and Aberdare lines (summary)
- New electric trains running between Coryton, Caerphilly and Penarth Welsh Government, 31 July 2025between Coryton, Caerphilly and Penarth from July 2025 (status)
- Electric train rollout completed BRO Radio, 27 September 2025all 24 in service by 27 September 2025 (status, summary)
- A guide to our fleet of trains: fleet accessibility specifications (V3, updated June 2026) Transport for Wales, June 202624 units, seven three-car and 17 four-car; seats; routes (June 2026)
- Concern as further delays hit roll-out of tram-trains Nation.Cymru, 26 September 2026756s on the Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert lines, moving to the Rhymney and Vale of Glamorgan lines as the 398s arrive
- Case study: Wales & Borders, commercial and contract management Apex Rail, accessed 7 October 2026owned by SMBC Leasing and Equitix
- British Rail Class 756 Wikipedia, accessed 7 October 2026formation, car names and subclass numbers (last resort)
- FLIRT tri-mode multiple unit, Transport for Wales (data sheet FWBTRI0922e) Stadler, September 2022, p. 2side elevations (measured): doors, windows, car lengths, bogies, the order of the cars
- 756 001 at the depot in Barry, 28 April 2023 (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 2023livery placing and colours (layout and colour only)
- Transport for Wales Class 756 FLIRT TMU (photograph, 27 May 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Samson Ng, D201@EAL), 2025doors of each car of a 756/1; the power pack car's livery (layout and colour only)
- 756 117 at Aberdare, 19 November 2024 (photograph, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Anamyd), 2024livery colours (colour only)
- 756 007 at Treherbert, 8 May 2025 (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Anamyd), 2025the cab side and orange line (layout and colour only)
- Class 175 Livery Design [Driving Vehicles] and [Centre Vehicles] Transport for Wales Rail Ltd (released under FOI: 'Livery designs for current rolling stock'), released 9 September 2021TfW's livery colours (the drawing's fills, as on the Class 175)
- Class 769 Transport for Wales Livery Concept, Option 6, DG8-SK-92454 Issue C Transport for Wales Rail Ltd (released under FOI: 'Livery designs for current rolling stock'), 8 February 2019 (released 11 August 2021), p. 1paint references for TfW's red and grey scheme
- Class 150 Transport for Wales Livery Concept C, Option 1, DG8-SK-92444 Issue B Transport for Wales Rail Ltd (released under FOI: 'Livery designs for current rolling stock'), 21 November 2018 (released 11 August 2021), p. 1paint references for TfW's red and grey scheme
- FLIRT tri-mode multiple unit, Transport for Wales (data sheet FWBTRI0922e) Stadler, September 2022, p. 2the cab front as one smooth curve fitted to the body shell, the lamp hood, wiper and fittings masked (set CA, ca-flirt; measured)
- FLIRT tri-mode multiple unit, Transport for Wales (data sheet FWBTRI0922e) Stadler, September 2022, p. 2the cab's joints and the lamp lens, side on (set FL5)
- Class 745 Cerhenice.jpg (photograph of 745001 on test, Plutowiki, CC0) Wikimedia Commons, 26 April 2019the cab side window's dark rubber frame, about 30 mm (set FL5)
- Transport for Wales Class 756 FLIRT TMU (photograph, 27 May 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Samson Ng, D201@EAL), 2025the power pack car: black from the window band's foot up, the foot louvres separate in the grey below it (set T11F, Kyle, 28 October 2026, question 1; layout only)
- Class 231 FLIRT unit at Ninian Park, Cardiff, 11 April 2022 (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Jeremy Segrott, from Flickr), 2022the power pack car's foot louvres, about 4 ft 5 in to 5 ft 2 in (1,340-1,585 mm), read on the Class 231's identical car, scaled on the louvre openings' top and the window band's foot (set T11F, Kyle, 28 October 2026, question 1)
- Valley Lines Electrification: Overhead Line Equipment (TAM area), construction phase case study Constructing Excellence in Wales (Amey Infrastructure Wales, for Transport for Wales), 2025, p. 2the contact wire in the In operation drawing: 16 ft 5 in (5.0 m) above rail, the Core Valley Lines' average height
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- Car names (DMS, PTS, PP, PTSW) and the subclass numbers: Wikipedia, citing Platform 5's pocket book; Stadler gives only the axle arrangements (Bo'2'2'2'Bo' and Bo'2'2'2'2'Bo')
- Which trailer is which: Stadler's sheet draws the four-car unit with the one-door trailer (wheelchair sign) next to one driving car and a two-door trailer next to the other, and the three-car unit with only the one-door trailer; so the one-door car is taken to be the PTSW and the two-door car the PTS (a photograph of a 756/1 shows doors two, two, none, one, two from the front)
- Car lengths: measured off Stadler's side views, not printed (Stadler gives only 213 ft (65.0 m) and 265 ft (80.7 m) units): 69 ft 1 in (21.05 m) driving cars, 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m) trailers and a 23 ft 7 in (7.20 m) power pack car between bogie centres, the same as the Class 755's within 5 mm
- Build years: not confirmed (Wikipedia gives 2021 to 2023); the whole fleet was in service by 27 September 2025 (BRO Radio, quoting the Welsh transport minister)
- First passengers: RAIL (18 November 2024) says the units 'made a low-key passenger debut last week' but gives no date; Wikipedia, citing Today's Railways, gives 15 November
- Owners: SMBC Leasing and Equitix, from a consultant's case study (Apex Rail)
- Height: Stadler prints 12 ft 10 in (3,915 mm); the drawing's roof is 11 ft 11 in (3,643 mm), its fairings 3,770, the cab top 3,837 and the power pack car's roof 3,850 (pantographs not drawn)
- Drawing: the four-car sheet draws the PTSW's windows about 45 mm further along than the three-car sheet (and the Class 231's) does; the three-car sheet's are used
- Drawing: Stadler draws the same power pack car on the 756 as on the 231 and 755 (two grille panels); the 756's carries one engine and batteries, and photographs show the same two panels
- Livery: the colours are the fills of TfW's Class 175 livery drawings (FOI), as on the site's 175; no drawing or paint reference for the FLIRTs was found; the placing of the black window panels, red roof, orange line and red front is from photographs
- Pantographs: drawn folded at the trailers' outer ends as Stadler's sheet places them, 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) long from the sheet's raised arms laid flat; their folded height is not drawn by any source (the sheet's base top plus the 331 sheet's folded arms and head), and no side-on photograph of a folded 756 pantograph was found
- The grey boxes under the driving cars' low floor are drawn as on the Class 755 (from a photograph of 755 334): indicative
- The cab front: one smooth curve fitted to the body shell on Stadler's Class 756 sheet (FWBTRI0922e, p. 2), the lamp hood, wiper and fittings masked and a 27-33 mm dip above the lamp bridged; the dome's top comes out at 12 ft 8 in (3,850 mm; 3,837 before); compared with photographs of 756001 (nearly side-on) and 745001 for its shape only
- The power pack car: the black's foot at the window band's foot (5 ft 3 in (1,610 mm)) and the foot louvres at about 4 ft 5 in to 5 ft 2 in (1,340-1,585 mm) are read on oblique photographs (the 756/1 at Cardiff from above, the Class 231 at Ninian Park), +/-50 mm; the louvres' places along the car and the panels' outline are the Class 755's (set T11F, Kyle, 28 October 2026)
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