South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Signal_Box]

There’s been an incident of theft with the wiring already?

Twice yes, South of Cathays.

 

[59CosG95]

Twice yes, South of Cathays.

Surely that'd be north of Cathays as the wires don't even reach there, unless it was the ground level cables they nicked...

 

[CapitalStar378]

Does anyone know the outcome of the route consultation for the Cardiff Central to Newport Road tram line?

It closed in January so you'd imagine there might have been some word by now.

 

[CardiffKid]

Is it wishful thinking that the impeding Euro 2028 bid which will see Cardiff probably hold somewhere in the region of 6 games lead to lots of the inner city stations receiving upgrades and perhaps the speeding up of the development of Central?

Absolutely no chance of an upgrade to Central being agreed, financed and delivered by the summer of 2028. A lick of paint yes, but not a redevelopment.

 

[5021]

Surely that'd be north of Cathays as the wires don't even reach there, unless it was the ground level cables they nicked...

The one I know of was south of Radyr and north of Llandaf - and not recent; the power's been on since May 20th!

 

[Signal_Box]

Surely that'd be north of Cathays as the wires don't even reach there, unless it was the ground level cables they nicked...

You are quite right, brain fart

 

[anthony263]

Noticed today theyve put the overhead wiring up from the Aberdare end of Mountain Ash Station with the wires stopping just before Fernhill Station. No other wires up on the branch between Abercynon and Aberdare.

 

[59CosG95]

Here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PDSJEg8GzFrPZQoC9?g_st=ic

51°44'12"N 3°15'57"W · 234 m

Another post on LinkedIn has confirmed the mast ID as "CAR/33/415", and that 1100 masts total are due to be installed over the Rhymney lines.

 

[Envoy]

They have obviously had the press around to the Taff’s Well depot. You should see a report on Wales Today BBC 1 Wales at 6.30pm today. Not sure if ITV Wales are running it at 6pm?

Media Wales:>
first-look-wales-new-tram-27428533

"According to Transport for Wales (TfW) the new £100m Taff’s Well depot where they were unveiled is currently being constructed and will become the home of the South Wales Metro (which TfW is delivering) providing electrical controls and signalling for the network as well as a maintenance depot for the new tram trains."

 

[56xx]

Another post on LinkedIn has confirmed the mast ID as "CAR/33/415", and that 1100 masts total are due to be installed over the Rhymney lines.

That equates to 22 m 65 ch which is Pontlottyn Station and two masts are indeed in place there. According to the 2020 plans north of Bargoed is non electrified.
Is there an updated plan?

 

[59CosG95]

That equates to 22 m 65 ch which is Pontlottyn Station and two masts are indeed in place there. According to the 2020 plans north of Bargoed is non electrified.
Is there an updated plan?

There is, somewhere in the 164 pages!

 

[5021]

Here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PDSJEg8GzFrPZQoC9?g_st=ic

51°44'12"N 3°15'57"W · 234 m

This equates to 22 m 65 ch which is Pontlottyn Station and two masts are indeed in place there. According to the 2020 plans north of Bargoed is non electrified.

Is there an updated plan?

Pre-2020 north of Ystrad Mynach was to be non-electrified - apart from Rhymney station area and sidings for charging up - so even Bargoed was an advance! However the November 2022 version attached shows the whole line electrified north of Ystrad - although as we know that almost certainly won't be strictly true....

 

[56xx]

Thanks very much for the update

 

[Avowedsevern]

The works at Dinas Rhondda station on the Treherbert line, showing the reconstructing works on the second platform thus far

 

[anthony263]

Saw the work going on around Mountain Ash today. Overhead wires have now been extended from.the aberdare end of Mountain Ash right to the end of the loop heading towards Pontypridd.

 

[positron]

Did they ever explain anywhere why the mountain ash loop wasn't extended down to Penrhiwceiber the old platform is still there. Is it purely cost savings? And have they done the OLE in such a way it can be easily extended?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2023 ==

Also what's progress like on the network rail aspects of the metro. Last I saw Penarth's arrival platform area had vegetation clearance work done have they got any further?

Also I note it seems none of the access for all work at Llantwit or Grangetown which was funded in 2020 has started, given level boarding is a large part of the metro I'm surprised the Welsh government haven't pressed them on that work.

 

[Cross City]

Objections have been raised by local residents on the Taff Vale Estate with regard to the scale of the bridge and ramp structure.

Technically improvements within the railway boundary do not require planning permission but a planning application was submitted in May.

There are various measures being proposed to mitigate the residents objections and of course our ecology friends.

The station will therefore probably be closed until these matters are resolved.

Both Quaker's Yard and Pentrebach loops are now signalled and operational. Had a northbound train passing ours at Quaker's Yard on Saturday as we were held there southbound following a disorder incident at Abercynon.

Sounds like it could be a while.

I notice Quakers Yard is now closed until September...

 

[positron]

I notice Quakers Yard is now closed until September...

What a waste of time. They didn't need planning permission (aside from I think potentially a prior approval) and now this is all dragging on because of some NIMBYs. Bet the same people are complaining about bus replacements too.

 

[Nodding Cat Ch]

This all looks rather fab!
Which sections are envisaged as a tram (street running) if any.

 

[John R]

This all looks rather fab!
Which sections are envisaged as a tram (street running) if any.

Of the current development, nothing. Some street running south of Cardiff Bay is likely in the future, along with a proposal to run a line to Cardiff Central via Callaghan Square off the Bay branch, which appears to have a lot of momentum in terms of funding. If you define tram operation as line of sight instead of being signalled then the Bay branch will move to that at some point in the current project.

 

[WelshBluebird]

More fun yesterday with the public replacement bus timetables being totally different to the timings the bus drivers are being given. If I lived back home and relied on the service to get around I would absolutely have abandoned it by now and bought a car!

 

[56xx]

Mast columns now up southwards on the Rhymney line from Pontlottyn Station to Dyffryn Farm underbridge about 1.3 km.

 

[Last Hurrah]

Taking a long term view, should further double tracking be needed on single track sections in a decade or two in order to uphold service levels, some of the masts may need to be moved, whereas had they positioned them slightly further back from where they are, it would be one thing less to do

Presumably it’s no more costly to sink a pile 2 metres further away from trackside although a wider mast arm will, but it then leaves room for an additional track at some later date, rather than to move everything

 

[John R]

Taking a long term view, should further double tracking be needed on single track sections in a decade or two in order to uphold service levels, some of the masts may need to be moved, whereas had they positioned them slightly further back from where they are, it’s would be one thing less to do

Presumably it’s no more costly to sink a pile 2 metres further away from trackside although a wider mast arm will, but it then leaves room for an additional track at some later date, rather than to move everything

It could be that the shoulders of the original two track formation have deteriorated in the 50 years or so since the lines were singled, so a more central position was simpler. Given cost overruns, I’m just happy to see the three branches north of Pontypridd still regaining a good proportion of the double tracking that was lost two generations ago.

 

[edwin_m]

Taking a long term view, should further double tracking be needed on single track sections in a decade or two in order to uphold service levels, some of the masts may need to be moved, whereas had they positioned them slightly further back from where they are, it’s would be one thing less to do

Presumably it’s no more costly to sink a pile 2 metres further away from trackside although a wider mast arm will, but it then leaves room for an additional track at some later date, rather than to move everything

"Moving everything" probably isn't that difficult in this case. Following any necessary remediation works, new masts could be constructed at the edge of the formation where they don't interfere with anything that's there now, so although it's an extra task it shouldn't (in theory!) extend the timescales for any future double-tracking.

 

[Signal_Box]

Taking a long term view, should further double tracking be needed on single track sections in a decade or two in order to uphold service levels, some of the masts may need to be moved, whereas had they positioned them slightly further back from where they are, it’s would be one thing less to do

Presumably it’s no more costly to sink a pile 2 metres further away from trackside although a wider mast arm will, but it then leaves room for an additional track at some later date, rather than to move everything

Leta not fall into the trap of looking into the future, once this program is complete that’ll be it for our lifetime. Their not calling this a once in a generation upgrade for nothing, without the nasty, dirty EU this wouldn’t of happened funny how Wales then shots itself in the foot by voting leave

It’ll be fun come October / November from what I’m hearing regards to the light footed 231s as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Aug 2023 ==

"Moving everything" probably isn't that difficult in this case. Following any necessary remediation works, new masts could be constructed at the edge of the formation where they don't interfere with anything that's there now, so although it's an extra task it shouldn't (in theory!) extend the timescales for any future double-tracking.

How much did the Swindon to Kemble redoubling cost again ? Once it’s in, it’s in.

 

[yorkie]

Leta not fall into the trap of looking into the future..

Agreed; just a gentle reminder to all that if anyone wants to discuss what might happen (and/or alternatives, such as why they aren't doing anything in the way they are doing), please can this be posted in a separate thread in the Speculative Discussion section. This thread is exclusively for updates. Thanks

 

[John R]

Just to reinforce the quantum of the change here, back in the 80s the Merthyr Line north of Abercynon was completely single following removal of the loop at Black Lion. That was a total of 8.2 miles and meant that only an hourly service was possible. The Merthyr Vale loop restored 23% (1.9 miles) of that to double track, and thus enabled a half hourly service. The further enhancements which are now in operation means that 42% of the previous single line has now been redoubled, and of course the intent is a 15 minute frequency.

The remaining single track sections will each be around 1.5 miles in length, so even if trains present themselves at both ends simultaneously (the worst case) the delay should be minimal. And given the single track section just south of Merthyr implies reasonable turn around times there, holding the northbound train is unlikely to result in a knock on delay to the next southbound departure from Merthyr.

 

[WesternBiker]

Just to reinforce the quantum of the change here, back in the 80s the Merthyr Line north of Abercynon was completely single following removal of the loop at Black Lion. That was a total of 8.2 miles and meant that only an hourly service was possible. The Merthyr Vale loop restored 23% (1.9 miles) of that to double track, and thus enabled a half hourly service. The further enhancements which are now in operation means that 42% of the previous single line has now been redoubled, and of course the intent is a 15 minute frequency.

The remaining single track sections will each be around 1.5 miles in length, so even if trains present themselves at both ends simultaneously (the worst case) the delay should be minimal. And given the single track section just south of Merthyr implies reasonable turn around times there, holding the northbound train is unlikely to result in a knock on delay to the next southbound departure from Merthyr.

A pity Merthyr lost its second platform in (I think) 1996. Short-sighted given the arrangements now being put in place - but only with hindsight!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Leta not fall into the trap of looking into the future

And at the same time lets not make perfection the enemy of progress.
Given what has occurred since the scheme was kicked off (especially the current Westminster government's attitude to rail), I can't speak for everyone obviously, but I think the resulting 4tph north of Pontypridd and 12tph south of there is a huge win for the area.