Three new trains were spotted outside Machynlleth station as part of a training exercise.

The three Class 197 train cabins were stationed up the track from the Cambrian Line station on Friday 14 November, enduring storm Claudia rains and wind during testing on the track.

Staff at the station confirmed they were part of the long-anticipated new fleet of trains on the line, promised originally in 2023, which have been introduced to other lines in Wales, whilst the Cambrian Line has been left waiting.

A staff member at the station told the Cambrian News that the trains were being “tested”, “preparing them for train drivers and guards for when they do work on this line.”

He however commented that “it'll be at least a year before they get the staff trained up” on the new trains, meaning that the new trains, which offer greater capacity for passengers and bicycles, won’t be used in service until late 2026 at the earliest.

It comes not long after Ceredigion MS Elin Jones called the line a “second-class service” due to the many cancellations caused by old engines using the Cambrian and Coast line.

Only last year, a fault in the system claimed the life of Aberystwyth man David Tudor Evans, after two trains collided on the line at Talerddig.

Initial investigations have shown that faults in the safety system on one of the two trains involved in the crash led to the collision.

MS Jones said: “We’re desperate for better trains and a more reliable service between Aberystwyth and Birmingham, and it’s a very vague commitment by Transport for Wales.

“We need a more specific timetable, and I will be contacting TFW to get a better understanding of when we can expect the new trains to be in service.

“Only this week I was contacted again by a constituent who had been stranded in Borth, due to cancelled trains.

“Transport for Wales needs to make the Cambrian Line a priority for the next few months.”

Transport for Wales has been contacted for comment about the two new trains spotted on the line.

Asked when mid Wales rail users could expect to see new trains on the Cambrian Line, a Transport for Wales spokesperson said: "Our priority is getting the brand-new Class 197 trains into service on the Cambrian line as soon as possible.

"We are working with the train manufacturer CAF and our infrastructure partners Network Rail to bring the units into service during 2026."