Transport for Wales announce service disruptions as South Wales Metro plans advance

Rail travellers may face some disruptions as the next stage of the South Wales Metro development gets underway.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is continuing to move forward with the building of the South Wales Metro with major works being undertaken across the Core Valley Lines in the spring.

TfW says that the transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro, which has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys.

The Core Valley Lines are the network of railways which serve Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert. As part of the upgrade TfW say they will be electrifying around 170km of track, upgrading stations and signalling equipment as well as building two new stations.

The Metro project, which is expected to cost around three quarters of a billion pounds, is scheduled for completion in March 2023.

The new depot for the South Wales Metro at Taff’s Well was given the green light in January and the £100m phase of the project, which has already begun, will be used for the storage, maintenance, and operation of the new fleet of metro trains that will serve the existing Core Valley Lines railway network.

The new fleet will consist of electrified CityLink Tram-Train metro vehicles supplied by Stadler.

Replacement services

The latest stage of the development means that from Monday 28 March, the current evening Sunday to Thursday rail replacement bus service between Pontypridd and Radyr will extend to and from Cardiff Central as engineers carry out piling and foundation works in readiness for the installation of overhead line equipment.

The Evening City Line services in Cardiff will also be replaced by buses from Monday 4 April between Monday and Thursday only.

Work will also affect services between Pontypridd and Radyr over the weekends of 1-3 April and 15-18 April.

Meanwhile, from Sunday 17 April to Friday 13 May 2022, the railway between Aberdare and Abercynon will be closed to allow engineering work to take place.

Replacement bus services will be in operation between Aberdare and Pontypridd, to connect to and from train services.

Complex work

The 26-day closure will allow engineers to carry out complex work including the installation of foundations for overhead line equipment, demolition and reconstruction of the footbridge between Penrhiwceiber and Cwm Cynon Business Park, platform works, signalling maintenance and testing, line speed improvements, and cutting back vegetation.

Karl Gilmore, Rail Infrastructure Director at TfW said: “These essential works will mean we’re another step forward in delivering the South Wales Metro for the people of Wales.

“The key infrastructure works will allow us to prepare it for the introduction of brand-new electric tram-trains in the coming years, which will allow us to run faster, more frequent services.

“I’d like to thank our lineside neighbours and passengers in advance for their understanding and continued support whilst we carry out these works.”

The investment in the South Wales Metro will significantly improve connectivity providing access to jobs, leisure and other opportunities for the people of Wales, through unifying rail, bus and active travel routes.

More information about Metro is available on the Transport for Wales website, including a blog article answering some frequently asked questions about the Metro transformation work. Travel updates can be found here