Essential South Wales Metro upgrades to affect rail services this weekend

Nation Cymru staff

Passengers across the south Wales valleys are being encouraged to check before they travel on Sunday 27 September, as essential South Wales Metro upgrades will affect rail services.

Engineering work at Cardiff Queen Street station means no rail services will run on the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr lines throughout the day.

To keep passengers moving, Transport for Wales (TfW) will run rail replacement bus services across all affected routes, with full journey planning information available on the TfW website and app.

The closure forms part of the ongoing South Wales Metro upgrade programme, helping build a more reliable, accessible and better-connected railway for communities across the Valleys.

During the one-day closure, TfW will carry out essential signalling work and will also complete a range of further improvements, including track maintenance, vegetation management and structural works.

Rail services will return to normal on Monday 28 September.

Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Transport for Wales said: ”We know these changes will affect customers travelling between the Valleys and Cardiff on Sunday 27 September, and we’d like to thank them for their patience and understanding.

“While the impact is limited to one day, we encourage everyone planning a journey to check before they travel, make use of the replacement bus services available and allow extra time for their journey where necessary.”

Rail services to Rhymney remain unaffected.

For more information visit: www.tfw.wales

Rail replacement buses

Rail replacement bus services will operate throughout the day on Sunday 27 September while engineering work takes place at Cardiff Queen Street station.

Services will operate approximately hourly between Cardiff Central and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.
Ticket acceptance will also be in place on the City Line to help customers complete their journeys.

Due to local road restrictions on the route to Penrhiwceiber, rail replacement buses will not be able to serve the station directly. A dedicated shuttle service will operate for customers travelling to and from Penrhiwceiber, with connections available at Pontypridd and Mountain Ash.

Ticketing  

While rail replacement services are in place, passengers must hold a valid ticket before boarding.

Pay as you go ticketing remains available, with validators positioned just a short walk from most replacement bus stops.

If a validator is unavailable, customers are advised to purchase their tickets via the TfW app or website or speak directly to members of the TfW revenue protection team who will be stationed at key locations across the network to assist.

Pay As You Go travel on local bus services is not eligible for ticket acceptance on the City Line. Customers travelling on the City Line must purchase a valid ticket before they travel. Pay as you Go travel remains valid on Rail Replacement Services (RRS) where ticket acceptance is in place.

Pay as you go customers who are unable to tap out, or who forget to do so, can complete their journey through the TfW app or website the day after they travel by adding in a missed tap.

As replacement buses may take longer than scheduled train services, passengers are strongly encouraged to check the latest travel updates on the TfW app or website and allow extra time for their journeys.

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