South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Yindee8191]

Went on a big trip around the progress in Cardiff yesterday, got a lot of pictures.
Firstly, there’s been a lot of work done on the City Line - looks like most of the steelwork is up for the wires there.


At Radyr, there are new shelters and the steelwork is finished, plus there are wires above the Up platform.
There’s also contact wire along a decent amount of Radyr-Treforrest, and steelwork is about finished.

The depot at Taffs Well has had a lot of work done, the rail connection is finished with just tamping to do and the building is mostly finished. Stanchions for overhead wires also in place.


On the Aberdare branch, the steelwork is mostly finished and some wires are going in. There are also several unconnected sections of double track installed north of Mountain Ash, I’d say that part is about half finished. Forgot to take pictures, unfortunately.

On the Merthyr Tydfil branch, there is a bit of double track in. The second platform and footbridge at Quakers Yard are starting to take shape, and a big embankment is being built up just south of Merthyr Tydfil itself. There isn’t much steelwork on the southern end of the branch, but it’s pretty advanced at the northern end (missing most droppers and all wires though).



I also visited the Cardiff Bay branch, but didn’t see much other than fencing and a bit of devegetation work.

 

[stuu]

Thanks for sharing, some decent progress being made then

 

[MikePJ]

TfW are claiming “damage to overhead electric wires in Llandaff” as a delay this morning. Apparently cables near Llandaff station have been damaged and the line is closed while it is rectified.

 

[Markdvdman]

The valleys lines are chaos today due to the pverhead wire damage. Firstly, it was claimed sorted by 9am now 5am! Delays are horrendous!

 

[Dai Corner]

BTP are investigating so presumably attempted or successful theft is suspected. Or perhaps vandalism.

Cardiff train delays, cancellations after wire theft bid

Police are investigating an attempted theft of overhead cables that fell on a passenger train.

www.bbc.co.uk

Train services into Cardiff have been disrupted after a train struck damaged overhead wires.

Police and engineers are investigating the damaged wires which came down near Llandaff station.

Services between Cardiff and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil are being diverted and 30 services have already been cancelled.

Transport for Wales said repair work was under way but more disruption is expected through Friday.

No services are calling at Llandaff, Cathays or stations on the City Line between Radyr and Coryton.

Rail tickets for passengers travelling from or through those stations are being accepted by Cardiff Bus.

Transport for Wales apologised for the delays and urged travellers to check for updates before they travel.

"Earlier this morning, a train struck overhead wires that had come down near Llandaff station," it said.

"Engineers and the British Transport Police are in attendance to investigate and repair the damage."

 

[mrmartin]

Was wondering how long this would take. Apparently a huge problem, in that you have very expensive cables but they are not energised, so a very high target for theft.

 

[Richard Scott]

Was wondering how long this would take. Apparently a huge problem, in that you have very expensive cables but they are not energised, so a very high target for theft.

Remember reading about a new French high speed line and they had to energise it almost as soon as they put the wire up otherwise it would be gone!

 

[mrmartin]

Might be worth having loads of security guards patrolling all the unenergized sections overnight, but I'm not sure how long it would take to energise them. If it was a few weeks probably worth it given the cost and disruption to repair and replace when stolen, but I imagine it could be a lot longer than that!

 

[Meerkat]

Might be worth having loads of security guards patrolling all the unenergized sections overnight, but I'm not sure how long it would take to energise them. If it was a few weeks probably worth it given the cost and disruption to repair and replace when stolen, but I imagine it could be a lot longer than that!

Do the criminals check? ie if you electrified one little bit and then announced that wires were being energised would they know which bits were live? Or do they have inside info?

 

[mrmartin]

I imagine you can tell from the noise if you listened carefully?Not entirely sure though.

 

[John R]

Lines reopened just before 1500.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Interesting that all Radyr to Coryton services are cancelled when the OLE was damaged between Cathays and Llandaf?

 

[Dai Corner]

Interesting that all Radyr to Coryton services are cancelled when the OLE was damaged between Cathays and Llandaf?

I think trains which should have gone via Llandaff were diverted via the City Line.

 

[CapitalStar378]

I think trains which should have gone via Llandaff were diverted via the City Line.

Thanks, makes sense

 

[MikePJ]

Not the best picture ever, but there are some wires up at Canton now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2023 ==

Was wondering how long this would take. Apparently a huge problem, in that you have very expensive cables but they are not energised, so a very high target for theft.

BTP are investigating so presumably attempted or successful theft is suspected. Or perhaps vandalism.

Cardiff train delays, cancellations after wire theft bid

Police are investigating an attempted theft of overhead cables that fell on a passenger train.

www.bbc.co.uk

There’s a statement from TfW here, saying a train struck OLE damaged by vandalism as a result of a suspected theft. https://twitter.com/transport_wales/status/1629175268303568896?s=20

 

[Train Maniac]

Might be worth having loads of security guards patrolling all the unenergized sections overnight, but I'm not sure how long it would take to energise them. If it was a few weeks probably worth it given the cost and disruption to repair and replace when stolen, but I imagine it could be a lot longer than that!

When they were building HS1 they ran 'ghost trains' throughout the night using the civil engineer class 14s. Maybe this could work in TfW land as well?

 

[Siemens Staines]

Deleted

 

[stuu]

Today is 01/03/23, so it is time for me to post an update of the list of 458 & 455 that I have not recorded working in passenger service for over a month. The dates below are the last date that I have noticed them appear on a passenger train on RTT. This date is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate but should not be wrong by more than a day.

458506 09/11/22
458509 27/03/22
458513 23/04/22
458519 07/04/22
458530 15/12/22
458533 28/01/22

List excludes Off-lease 458505,507,517

455719 14/01/23
455722 06/12/22
455850 27/06/22
455860 14/01/23
455870 15/12/22
455902 15/12/22
455904 16/11/22
455905 04/07/22
455915 23/10/22

List excludes Scrapped 455704,726,736,740,847,855,907,918

Wrong thread?

 

[Siemens Staines]

Sorry, wrong SW!

 

[snowball]

I forget whether the Ebbw Vale line works are on topic for this thread but there's a press release:

Network Rail urges passengers to check before they travel as multi-million-pound Ebbw Vale upgrade continues

The Ebbw Vale line will be closed on three separate occasions across March and April, with further closures planned between May and July, as considerable work continues to be carried out across the entire line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

The Ebbw Vale line will be closed on three separate occasions across March and April, with further closures planned between May and July, as considerable work continues to be carried out across the entire line.

Engineers from Network Rail and principal contractor, Amco, will continue platform construction work at both Llanhilleth and Newbridge stations and install part of a new fully accessible footbridge and lifts at Llanhilleth station.

Network Rail’s internal Construction Services team will undertake substantial track work between Crosskeys and Crumlin and alongside our contractors Siemens, we will continue to upgrade and renew signals along the line.

This work is part of the Ebbw Vale enhancement scheme that will enable an additional hourly passenger service from Ebbw Vale to Newport in the future.

The dates of the upcoming closures across March and April are:

Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March
Saturday 25 to Thursday 30 March (inclusive)
Sunday 23 April to Sunday 30 April (inclusive)

During these line closures, buses will replace trains between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central. Passengers are urged to plan ahead and check www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling.

As well as line closures, Network Rail will close Colliery Way, opposite St Illtyd’s Primary School from 05.00 on Tuesday 27 to 05.00 on Thursday 29 March and again at the end of April (exact dates TBC) to safely lift in the stairs and bridge for the new fully accessible footbridge at Llanhilleth station. A fully signposted diversionary route will be in place during these periods.

Last October, there was a nine-day closure of the line to replace Bridge Street rail bridge in Newbridge, install new track and regrade an embankment near Riverside Park. In addition to this, 53km of new signalling cable was installed as well as four trackside cabinets to house the new signalling equipment.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

I forget whether the Ebbw Vale line works are on topic for this thread but there's a press release:

Network Rail urges passengers to check before they travel as multi-million-pound Ebbw Vale upgrade continues

The Ebbw Vale line will be closed on three separate occasions across March and April, with further closures planned between May and July, as considerable work continues to be carried out across the entire line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

It's a funny one. The Ebbw Vale line is considered part of the Metro but unlike the core valley lines it's still owned by Network Rail rather than the Welsh Government.

 

[Dr Day]

I thought everything in South East Wales (ie east of Maesteg/Bridgend) was part of what is now branded 'South East Wales Metro'? With aspirations for 4 trains per hour everywhere, although only the Core Valleys bits appear to have any concrete plans for necessary infrastructure and subsidy funding, and some of those 4 tph I thought were going to Cardiff Bay rather than Central.

 

[Envoy]

I thought everything in South East Wales (ie east of Maesteg/Bridgend) was part of what is now branded 'South East Wales Metro'? With aspirations for 4 trains per hour everywhere, although only the Core Valleys bits appear to have any concrete plans for necessary infrastructure and subsidy funding, and some of those 4 tph I thought were going to Cardiff Bay rather than Central.

The Metro area covers everything in densely populated SE Wales east of Maesteg/Bridgend. Although most work at present is concentrated on the valleys north of Cardiff, other work has been taking place - including the Ebbw Vale Line. A new car park is just being finished off at Pontypool & New Inn with direct access to the A4043.

 

[timnjmorris@gm]

Sorry if I have missed earlier discussion but looking at developments near North Road between Cathays and Llandaff it looks like only the uphill line is being wired. Downhill on battery/, momentum?

 

[Yindee8191]

Sorry if I have missed earlier discussion but looking at developments near North Road between Cathays and Llandaff it looks like only the uphill line is being wired. Downhill on battery/, momentum?

I don’t think there are any double track sections where only one track is getting wires, that would be unusual practice. Also, that section had all of the steelwork and equipment for wires above both tracks last week, so it’ll be wired fully soon. I imagine it’s just that they’ve only got round to one track so far, that was certainly the case at Radyr last week.

 

[Dr Day]

Few operational questions.

Can anyone on here advise what practical difference it has made with the 'core valleys' infrastructure being owned and therefore presumably operated by TfW rather than Network Rail? For example, I can still see details of trains at Pontypridd in Real Time Trains, therefore data I'm guessing is still feeding through Network Rail's systems. This differs from say, Metrolink services which (even on the Network Rail formation in the Navigation Road area) don't appear.
Are Network Rail still effectively operating the system under contract behind the scenes? If so, is this a temporary thing whilst the back-end systems and operational control is still being fully split apart?
Are trains 'handed over' to Network Rail control at the boundary in a similar way as trains are handed over from one signalling control area to another?
Are the signallers, maintenance staff etc now all employed by TfW?
Aside from a greater degree of 'local' control by Welsh interests rather than UK ones, overall, what have been/will be the operational and financial benefits of the segregation, particularly as the vast majority of the network AIUI will remain 'heavy' rail with associated standards and cost drivers rather than be operated as a tramway with line-of-sight signalling and less onerous freight requirements etc?

 

[Geeves]

As far as Altrincham goes the area controlled by Deansgate Junction doesn't send out anything on either line with trains reappearing at Altrincham station and Skelton Jn. Not sure on the set up there. You'd imagine South Wales will be somewhat of a hybrid. Is the signalling still to be controlled from the ROC? Half of Mersey Rail was always visible to the outside world but recently the entire loop is visible now, aren't they also controlling the lines with Network Rail in the IECC?

 

[Last Hurrah]

A lot of heavy plant machinery operating around Waungron Park station around lunchtime

 

[anthony263]

A lot of heavy plant machinery operating around Waungron Park station around lunchtime

Platform extensions to accommodate 4 carriage trains or a pair of 398s

 

[Del1977]

Apologies if it has already been linked, but there's a new BBC Wales documentary "How to Fix a Railway" on the Metro upgrades. It's available on iPlayer here:

BBC One - How to Fix a Railway

Going behind the scenes with Wales’s newest rail body.

www.bbc.co.uk

A multibillion-pound investment is underway to make our railways bigger, better and faster, and over three years, we go behind the scenes with Wales’s newest rail body as they try to make ambitious promises a reality.

From the boardroom to the platform, we meet those trying to win hearts, minds and more customers, and all in the middle of a pandemic that’s knocked public transport for six. Can they still deliver on time?