South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Floss63]

New Green Signals interview with James Price:>

Enjoyed watching that. Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

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.

Yes, I saw him finishing it off with his float / trowel just before 1100!

 

[Smwrff]

Some interesting titbits in this article includes news that construction of Crwys Road station will start in July 2027

 

[chrisjo]

Some interesting titbits in this article includes news that construction of Crwys Road station will start in July 2027

Anything else you might like to share would be appreciated, given that the article is behind a paywall.

 

[Daniel Boone]

Anything else you might like to share would be appreciated, given that the article is behind a paywall.

Metro wise, it laid out some dates for some projects, previously discussed on the forum, provides some good clarity in terms of timelines. 2027 is going to be a big year for the lower Rhymni line especially.

Caerffili Interchange:

"Market engagement in December 2025, bring out tender in early 2026, award in May 2026. Start construction February 2027."

Crwys Road:

"Expected to have 900,000 passengers by 2029 and bring in £1.2 million of revenue. Bring out tender in January 2026, award in June 2026. Construction start July 2027."

Heath High Level:

"Heath High Level station enhancements including a new road bridge, platform repairs and better access. Bring out tender in March 2026, award in May 2026. Start construction September 2027."

Edit: If you want to read the whole article, it only requires login, no payment required.

 

[Bob Price]

If it's the one I'm thinking of, be sad to see the old bridge at Heath go, it's original Rhymney Railway.

 

[Daniel Boone]

Google maps satellite view has updated across South Wales with 3D (Globe View). Very good if you fancy a snoop around. Cardiff Bays new platform is visible along with half of Butetown Station.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Google maps satellite view has updated across South Wales with 3D (Globe View). Very good if you fancy a snoop around. Cardiff Bays new platform is visible along with half of Butetown Station.

Must have been taken earlier in the year during a possession as there's some track missing where it was being slewed to the new platform 2 at Cardiff Bay.

 

[Daniel Boone]

Must have been taken earlier in the year during a possession as there's some tack missing where it was being slewed to the new platform 2 at Cardiff Bay.

Seems so, a lot of Rhymni line OLE is missing.

 

[MikePJ]

I took a ride on the Cardiff Bay train today to look at the construction progress on Butetown's Cardiff-bound platform:

I noticed that a lot of the foundation work seems to now be nearing completion and the metalwork for the lift tower is now in place.

Meanwhile, down at Cardiff Bay itself, the circulating space beyond the buffers has now been fully opened out (the old retaining wall on the Bute St side has been trimmed back) and hardcore levelled ready for paving. What appears to be pallets of paving blocks have been delivered.







Above: I think the wrapped pallets on the steps are paving blocks (there are lots more just around the corner out of shot)


Above: along the white edge of the temporary site fence at the right of the shot a drain has been laid that will eventually be flush with the paving surface.


Above: north end of the platform at Cardiff Bay, showing the future access to Lloyd George Avenue. Presumably the wheelchair ramp will get some safety railings on both sides before it opens! The wider access goes down a flight of steps.

 

[CapitalStar378]

I'm sure it's by design, but this is the slowest rail construction project that's ever taken place surely? Almost 3 years to get to this still not finished stage

 

[The exile]

I'm sure it's by design, but this is the slowest rail construction project that's ever taken place surely? Almost 3 years to get to this still not finished stage

Sure the Germans would be (less than) happy to offer you Stuttgart 21 (the key’s in the name) - still not completed, albeit slightly larger scale.

 

[MikePJ]

I'm sure it's by design, but this is the slowest rail construction project that's ever taken place surely? Almost 3 years to get to this still not finished stage

It really is slow. The slow progress of the 398s has pushed the Bay line off the project’s critical path, so there’s no hurry to finish it.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Sure the Germans would be (less than) happy to offer you Stuttgart 21 (the key’s in the name) - still not completed, albeit slightly larger scale.

And I'm sure that the people of Boston would also be happy to offer you the "Big Dig" project to change the Interstate system in the city. Planning began in 1982 and construction was carried out between 1991 and 2006; the project concluded in December 2007. I was there in 1997, and spotted this poster: "Rome wasn't built in a day; if it had been, we'd have engaged their contractors".

 

[Baxenden Bank]

And I'm sure that the people of Boston would also be happy to offer you the "Big Dig" project to change the Interstate system in the city. Planning began in 1982 and construction was carried out between 1991 and 2006; the project concluded in December 2007. I was there in 1997, and spotted this poster: "Rome wasn't built in a day; if it had been, we'd have engaged their contractors".

Seriously off topic but I will offer Itakpe to Aladji (Warri Port) in Nigeria. Also known as SGR Uzanu Railway (Central Line).
Construction commenced 1987 but was never completed, project re-activated in 2009 (with a 2013 completion date), re-activated again with line to be re-established by June 2018, later September 2018 with final commissioning in 2019, actually officially inaugurated 1 October 2020.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Sure the Germans would be (less than) happy to offer you Stuttgart 21 (the key’s in the name) - still not completed, albeit slightly larger scale.

They were having a competition with Brandenburg Airport.

I even remember flying out of Tegel's new terminal with Brandenburg branded furniture....the new terminal they build *after* they long decided to close the airport, just to handle the traffic that Brandenburg should have taken...

 

[Bob Price]

I was going to mention Brandenburg. Years over time. The fact is that many construction projects run over time, the Metro will happen and is at least happening, unlike some that have been started and then abandoned.

 

[tigermonstera]

There's an article about Crossrail in the New Civil Engineer, including short interviews with relevant individuals from Cardiff Council and Graham.

In  Spring 2026,  enabling highway and public realm works will commence, while the start of construction of the tram track and associated platforms at Cardiff Central station will take place in late 2026. Completion of all infrastructure works will follow, with the asset becoming operational by mid-2028, fuelled by the involvement of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in the Euro 2028 football championships.

 

[Envoy]

The link which follows will take you to images of how the land near Cardiff Bay station will be redeveloped. What is of particular note is that it shows the route of the Metro line linking Cardiff Bay with south east Cardiff and it even mentions reaching St.Mellons (Cardiff East Parkway). It also helps to explain why the new platforms at Cardiff Bay, now nearing completion, have been aligned so as to permit an eastward extension in the future.

"Rio has been working closely with Cardiff Council and numerous stakeholders, including Live Nation, Robertson, and the local community, to develop a cohesive scheme that responds to their ongoing visions and aspirations.
It’s envisioned that a new transport hub will connect the metro line between the Bay, the city and new St Mellon’s Parkway Station, as well as superb pedestrian and transport mode links, including buses, cars, cycles and scooters".

Atlantic Wharf Masterplan | Rio Architects

Atlantic Wharf’s urban revival

www.rioarchitects.com

 

[Cardiff123]

I've posted this in the GBR bill thread, but this blog from Professor Mark Barry crosses over into this thread as well. It seems there will be a press event at the Taff's Well depot on Friday, and he discusses how the Core Valley Lines upgrades show how devolving rail infrastructure to Welsh Government actually gets rail upgrades done in Wales.

GB Rail Bill: for Wales, see England!

The GBR Bill has just been published…. whilst much to applaud re industry rationalisation, sadly, for Wales, its more of the old Encyclopedia Britannica “for Wales, see England” m…

swalesmetroprof.blog

The circa £1Bn plus of capital investment, mainly by WG (I estimate circa £150~200m each from UK Gov and European funding) makes the case for properly and fully devolving rail. There is no doubt in my mind that this project would not be happening without the existence of a Welsh Government and Senedd. The UK Government had no interest in such, often seeing Wales as a peripheral distraction from more important and bigger shiny projects in England.

Starker still, as rail is not devolved, the WG funding for the Metro has to come out of a block grant that has no provision for such expenditure, and so has to come from funds intended for devolved areas like health and education. When you add this often-unnoticed feature to the long-term UK Gov underspend, one has to ask why Westminster/Whitehall has allowed this funding double whammy to persist. Surely, the advent of GBR would see this constitutional and funding anomaly addressed?

 

[tigermonstera]

Ynyswen is confirmed to reopen on December 14th (Link):

All traffic management outside the station has been removed, and starting on Sunday 14 December, trains will serve Ynyswen station in both directions. Passengers heading towards Cardiff should use platform 1 (the original platform), while those traveling towards Treherbert should use platform 2 (the new platform)

 

[MikePJ]

Butetown has had a lot of precast concrete platform modules delivered to site this week, so perhaps we might see the second platform installed during the shutdown next week.

 

[ajay1071]

Glad to see the Metro system gradually coming to its proposed ambitions, although abit late due to various reasons. It has already been a bonus and with a total renewal of rolling stock, it has and will, be a vast improvement on previous decades of transportationin in the valleys, well done to all those involved in the project.

 

[Smwrff]

Yes - the Metro is not complete yet and not perfect - but it is a huge step change and improvement to what we had before.

 

[MikePJ]

Also TfW have plans to bring in bus franchising, so it's likely that local bus services will be set up to feed the train in the near future (especially as fare integration will make that easier).

 

[slowroad]

Yes - the Metro is not complete yet and not perfect - but it is a huge step change and improvement to what we had before.

I live outside the area. Is it possible to summarise what the benefits are so far from a passenger perspective, particularly speed and frequency (as most passengers won’t know/care how trains are powered)?

 

[Dai Corner]

Also TfW have plans to bring in bus franchising, so it's likely that local bus services will be set up to feed the train in the near future (especially as fare integration will make that easier).

They're not doing too well on that so far. Passengers between Brecon and Cardiff use to be able to get the T4 all the way. Since TfW's latest changes they've had to change to the X4 at Merthyr bus station or walk to the railway station as the T4 doesn't go there. I don't think there are any through fares either.

 

[MikePJ]

They're not doing too well on that so far. Passengers between Brecon and Cardiff use to be able to get the T4 all the way. Since TfW's latest changes they've had to change to the X4 at Merthyr bus station or walk to the railway station as the T4 doesn't go there. I don't think there are any through fares either.

The formal franchising powers haven't come in yet, so it's all a hodgepodge right now.

 

[Dai Corner]

The formal franchising powers haven't come in yet, so it's all a hodgepodge right now.

Well, they manage to offer through fares on the T1 and have it call at Carmarthen railway station (Aberystwyth bus and railway stations at the other end are adjacent).

 

[Tom125]

I live outside the area. Is it possible to summarise what the benefits are so far from a passenger perspective, particularly speed and frequency (as most passengers won’t know/care how trains are powered)?

The trains are longer, much nicer, brighter, quieter and accelerate faster.

Pay as you go fares are cheaper compared to what I used to pay - big benefit though is that it caps off so I could travel quite some distance e.g to Abergavenny or Chepstow for not much more than what a return to Cardiff is. So that actually is a massive positive as a ticket from the valleys to Abergavenny used to be absolutely extortionate!

In terms of timetabling though that is still a bit rubbish at only two trains an hour and still seems to be a never ending wait to get our 4 trains per hour. Seems to be zero momentum on that front.

What I’ve also noticed recently is that there seems to be zero challenge from train crew to fare dodging children/ teenagers- not even challenging them verbally and warning them- I see it all the time in my valley. Does pose the question whether driver only operated trains with more staffed stations with gate lines would have been more effective.