South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Bob Price]

Does anyone know how well the two week closure of the Rhymney line has gone? Are the wires up where they are planned?

 

[56xx]

Wires are certainly up to Rhymney including the sidings.

 

[MikePJ]

Modern Railways has a couple of articles about the Cardiff area and Metro works this month - here are a few highlights:

- the additional trackwork needed for the Queen St South Junction upgrade is all being stored at Barry Depot (formerly Barry Tourist Railway), with the works having been postponed to help with TfW's cashflow. (I take back what I said years ago about cashflow... you were right and I was wrong).

- Mainline driver training has started on the 231s, but there are 200 drivers to train.
- 756s use less than 1% of their diesel fuel per day at the moment, and the software is configured to run the diesel engine if the battery charge drops below 30%. (This helps with battery longevity - running them flat shortens their usable lifetime).
- "advanced discussions" are being held with Stadler on putting pantographs on the 231s, but it's apparently quite an invasive process and Stadler want to take the trains to Switzerland to do it, whereas TfW want it done in the UK (presumably to save transit time)
- 756s are being considered for routes to Bristol and to Ebbw Vale (this will need extra units, however)
- There are more than 400 Valleys drivers who need training on the 398s
- 398s were delivered to Taffs Well long before the depot was finished, as TfW found this was going to be cheaper than sending them elsewhere for storage.
- 398s are due into service "early next year", so the November date in the June project plan has already slipped.
- Acceptance testing for 398s has been ongoing all summer and TfW have now accepted the first few units. Some mileage accumulation for later units may be done on the main line between Cardiff and Newport in the future.
- Some 150s will be retained for "some Vale of Glamorgan services" until enough 398s are in traffic to make enough 756s available.
- Street running to Central via Callaghan Square is supposedly due to start in 2028.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Modern Railways has a couple of articles about the Cardiff area and Metro works this month - here are a few highlights:

- the additional trackwork needed for the Queen St South Junction upgrade is all being stored at Barry Depot (formerly Barry Tourist Railway), with the works having been postponed to help with TfW's cashflow. (I take back what I said years ago about cashflow... you were right and I was wrong).

- Mainline driver training has started on the 231s, but there are 200 drivers to train.
- 756s use less than 1% of their diesel fuel per day at the moment, and the software is configured to run the diesel engine if the battery charge drops below 30%. (This helps with battery longevity - running them flat shortens their usable lifetime).
- "advanced discussions" are being held with Stadler on putting pantographs on the 231s, but it's apparently quite an invasive process and Stadler want to take the trains to Switzerland to do it, whereas TfW want it done in the UK (presumably to save transit time)
- 756s are being considered for routes to Bristol and to Ebbw Vale (this will need extra units, however)
- There are more than 400 Valleys drivers who need training on the 398s
- 398s were delivered to Taffs Well long before the depot was finished, as TfW found this was going to be cheaper than sending them elsewhere for storage.
- 398s are due into service "early next year", so the November date in the June project plan has already slipped.
- Acceptance testing for 398s has been ongoing all summer and TfW have now accepted the first few units. Some mileage accumulation for later units may be done on the main line between Cardiff and Newport in the future.
- Some 150s will be retained for "some Vale of Glamorgan services" until enough 398s are in traffic to make enough 756s available.
- Street running to Central via Callaghan Square is supposedly due to start in 2028.

Thanks, very interesting.There are so many projects on a go slow or severely delayed that cash flow had to be the cause. Mind blown by the number of drivers employed by the way, wow!

 

[Daniel Boone]

Is there any progress at all on the construction of platform 2 at Rhymney? Is it integral for 4tph?

 

[slowroad]

Do we know how far the cash flow issues are the result of costs being higher than planned v revenues being lower (presuming both apply to some extent)?

 

[Adlee Turner]

Is there any progress at all on the construction of platform 2 at Rhymney? Is it integral for 4tph?

At the moment, it’s all gone quiet in terms of the second platform at Rhymney

 

[tigermonstera]

Has the OLE been placed with room for the second platform?

 

[Adlee Turner]

Has the OLE been placed with room for the second platform?

Where platform 2 at Rhymney is supposed to go is where the current crew depot is so there is plenty of room for the OLE

 

[Cardiff123]

Deleted - posted in wrong thread

 

[tigermonstera]

I’ve had a look and although I can’t find any news about Rhymney’s second platform, I did notice a tender from 2022 (Link) which indicates that the OLE on the Coryton Line was designed with passive provision for a passing loop between just north of Ty Glas and just south of Whitchurch (i.e. with provision for second platforms at Birchgrove and Rhiwbina stations).

 

[AdamWW]

I’ve had a look and although I can’t find any news about Rhymney’s second platform, I did notice a tender from 2022 (Link) which indicates that the OLE on the Coryton Line was designed with passive provision for a passing loop between just north of Ty Glas and just south of Whitchurch (i.e. with provision for second platforms at Birchgrove and Rhiwbina stations).

Though presumably not the original plan, given that there is unused trunking for 25 kV cabling in the way.

Much easier to remove that then move the catenary posts though...

 

[Cardiff123]

I'm amazed that there's not been a press release from TfW marking the re-opening of the Caerphilly to Rhymney line after months of extended closures. There's no more extended closures planned this year, so now would be a good time for TfW to talk about what work they've done and to encourage people back to the train.

 

[edwin_m]

I'm amazed that there's not been a press release from TfW marking the re-opening of the Caerphilly to Rhymney line after months of extended closures. There's no more extended closures planned this year, so now would be a good time for TfW to talk about what work they've done and to encourage people back to the train.

Might have something to do with the by-election in Caerphilly?

 

[MikePJ]

TFW's press office have given the impression of being overworked for ages - often press releases come out weeks or months after the event has happened.

 

[AdamWW]

TfW have recently advised local councillors that the foot crossing at Ty Glas will reopen on Friday 24th October 2025.

It finally looks as if some work is being carried out on it.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Might have something to do with the by-election in Caerphilly?

Probably this.

 

[MikePJ]

A photo from Cardiff Bay today showing the glass-reinforced plastic fencing (grey) that appears near the overhead line columns. There was also construction activity at Butetown’s southbound platform, with concrete pads being cast on the forecourt between Lloyd George Ave and the steps to the platform.

 

[tigermonstera]

TfW are consulting this month for a new active travel route (i.e. for walking/wheeling/cycling) to connect Pontypool and New Inn Station to Usk via Little Mill

 

[Christian Schm]

Do we know how far the cash flow issues are the result of costs being higher than planned v revenues being lower (presuming both apply to some extent)?

I think that depends on your baseline? The original (pre-covid) numbers are of course of no use anymore. Since then TfW has repeatedly replanned, and of course had cash injections by the Welsh Government.

 

[tigermonstera]

Ty Glas Level Crossing is back open (Link):

Ty Glas level crossing is now open. We'd like to remind the community to use the crossing safely.
Ty Glas station will remain closed whilst we carry out upgrades, and passengers should continue to use Birchgrove station to access rail services.
We'd like to thank the community for their patience.

Is anyone aware what works were done on the crossing?

 

[Envoy]

Does anyone know what engineering work is being carried out on the City line this week that warrants its closure? (Also closed some Sundays in November).

 

[tigermonstera]

Does anyone know what engineering work is being carried out on the City line this week that warrants its closure? (Also closed some Sundays in November).

Potentially this:

As part of our work to upgrade your rail network, we’ll be carrying out the second stage of the renovation works to platform 2 at Waun-gron station.
We’ll be working around the clock from 26 Oct at 00.30 to 2 Nov at 20.00. We’ll try and carry out as much of the noisier work during the daytime as possible.
In order to safely carry out these upgrades, we’ll need to close Waun-gron road at night from 22.00 to 06.00. We’ll then operate a single-lane closure beneath the bridge during daytime hours (06.00 – 22.00) controlled by 2-way lights. The lane will be swapped as needed.

(Link)

 

[Envoy]

Potentially this:

(Link)

Thanks for this. Not sure why TFW sees fit to put this on Facebook and not their own website. Not all people bother with Facebook.

Single lane working on Waungron Road by the station and also on nearby Cowbridge Road.

They ought to hack down all the Buddleia bushes while the line is shut. The seeds are blowing all over the place and taking root in crevices.

 

[Cardiff4]

Ty Glas Level Crossing is back open (Link):

Is anyone aware what works were done on the crossing?

The first photograph shows the arrangements before the recent work took place. Passengers walked down the ramp, opened the gate and then turned right onto the crossing. Now there is additional fencing and a "dog-leg" in the path that means you are facing the crossing before you open the gate. This gives you the opportunity to look both left and right down the track before opening the gate

 

[tigermonstera]

The first photograph shows the arrangements before the recent work took place. Passengers walked down the ramp, opened the gate and then turned right onto the crossing. Now there is additional fencing and a "dog-leg" in the path that means you are facing the crossing before you open the gate. This gives you the opportunity to look both left and right down the track before opening the gate

Thanks, good explanation!

 

[MikePJ]

There's a week-long shutdown of the Cardiff Bay line now programmed for 17th - 21st November. I'm not sure what's planned- hopefully it includes energising the overhead line. I took a quick look today and there are still some sections of old fencing that need to be replaced with non-conductive fence panels.

The concreting at Butetown is continuing and this morning the workforce were laying a concrete slab right up to the edge of the pavement on Lloyd George Avenue.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There's a week-long shutdown of the Cardiff Bay line now programmed for 17th - 21st November. I'm not sure what's planned- hopefully it includes energising the overhead line. I took a quick look today and there are still some sections of old fencing that need to be replaced with non-conductive fence panels.

The concreting at Butetown is continuing and this morning the workforce were laying a concrete slab right up to the edge of the pavement on Lloyd George Avenue.

Are we still only on one platform open (the new one) at Bay station?

 

[Envoy]

New Green Signals interview with James Price:>

 

[MikePJ]

Are we still only on one platform open (the new one) at Bay station?

We are, yes. None of the new pointwork has been installed yet - it turns out that this, and the double-tracking, was postponed along with the changes to Queen Street South Junction. TfW put out a tender for it recently and it's due to take place in "early 2027".

Meanwhile, the works at Butetown look like they're re-focussing work on the platform on the east (Lloyd George Ave) side, so there's a possibility that they'll try and open this alongside the introduction of 398s, and then open the second platform in 2027 when the dual-tracking is finished.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Oct 2025 ==

Also, correction to my post from earlier: the Cardiff Bay energisation isn't due until early December, so the November shutdown is unlikely to include it.