South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Tomos y Tanc]

As frustrating as the delays are, it was never going to be 2023 with Covid knocking out 2020/21 from the schedule.

More recent go slows are probably down to funding admittedly, but in a relatively short time quite a lot has been achieved in fairness.

I guess it's a glass half full / empty thing.

The truth is that there are people who will slag off the WG/TfW come what may but, by UK rail standards, the project has moved at lightning pace. Just compare what's been achieved here with the sclerotic plans for 1tph to Portishead in Bristol and the you can see how groundless some of the whinging is.

 

[positron]

I guess it's a glass half full / empty thing.

The truth is that there are people who will slag off the WG/TfW come what may but, by UK rail standards, the project has moved at lightning pace. Just compare what's been achieved here with the sclerotic plans for 1tph to Portishead in Bristol and the you can see how groundless some of the whinging is.

Fwiw I've generally been pretty praising of TfW and I still am to some extent but they are taking too long to get this completed. Comparisons to portishead isn't very useful as that has been little more than a pipedream for most of its life.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Welsh government have failed to manage this project very well and it's pretty good ammunition for those that seek to prevent further rail devolution (something I'm very in favour of despite the issues here).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I guess it's a glass half full / empty thing.

The truth is that there are people who will slag off the WG/TfW come what may but, by UK rail standards, the project has moved at lightning pace. Just compare what's been achieved here with the sclerotic plans for 1tph to Portishead in Bristol and the you can see how groundless some of the whinging is.

I'm sorry, but "lightning pace" is just ridiculous.

I moved to Cardiff in 2021 as a young fresher for uni -- with the Metro enhancements advertised to be complete well within my time there -- and ended up doing my full three year degree, graduating, moving to Manchester to do my year-long masters, graduating again, and moving to Worcester for work, all of that, and still...

... a 398 hasn't even come close to carrying passengers! 150s are the only trains that can run to Bridgend. Bargoed and Rhymney are served by diesel trains only. Rhoose International Cardiff Airport gets one train per two hours on weekends!

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Fwiw I've generally been pretty praising of TfW and I still am to some extent but they are taking too long to get this completed. Comparisons to portishead isn't very useful as that has been little more than a pipedream for most of its life.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Welsh government have failed to manage this project very well and it's pretty good ammunition for those that seek to prevent further rail devolution (something I'm very in favour of despite the issues here).

That wasn't aimed at you in particular. Sorry if you took it that way.

I agree that the project hasn't been particularly well managed but that ignores the fact that, without WG, the project wouldn't have happened at all. From a standing start, and with no existing rail experience, I think that on the whole they've done pretty well. But, as I said, I think it depends on how you look at things.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Fwiw I've generally been pretty praising of TfW and I still am to some extent but they are taking too long to get this completed. Comparisons to portishead isn't very useful as that has been little more than a pipedream for most of its life.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Welsh government have failed to manage this project very well and it's pretty good ammunition for those that seek to prevent further rail devolution (something I'm very in favour of despite the issues here).

I mean the simple reply back there is that without what devolution we already have this simple would not be happening, and the improvements we have already seen would have no have happened. No extra Sunday services that the Treherbert line has enjoyed since 2024, no later evening services that the TAM lones have enjoyed since 2025, no electrification and still dirty 150s running about the place.

 

[Richard Scott]

I mean the simple reply back there is that without what devolution we already have this simple would not be happening, and the improvements we have already seen would have no have happened. No extra Sunday services that the Treherbert line has enjoyed since 2024, no later evening services that the TAM lones have enjoyed since 2025, no electrification and still dirty 150s running about the place.

You can't say that for definite, probably better to say unlikely to have happened?

 

[WelshBluebird]

You can't say that for definite, probably better to say unlikely to have happened?

Technically yes.

But given literally nothing happened in the years preceding the South Wales Metro plans and the CVL infrastructure being devolved, I think it is fair to say it wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Westminster just never gave a damn.

 

[cloakanddagger]

New to the forums but I've been following progress on the Metro for a few years. Is there a rough timeline for the completion of the SWML stations and what order they'll be completed in? I've heard Magor and Undy is likely to be the first one.

 

[VR494]

Technically yes.

But given literally nothing happened in the years preceding the South Wales Metro plans and the CVL infrastructure being devolved, I think it is fair to say it wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Westminster just never gave a damn.

CVL infrastructure being devolved has not been as good an idea as you’d expect. It was all well having it to upgrade, but now they’ve got it they can’t afford to keep it maintained. The budget does not go far enough, and when you have issues with cable theft that also eats into your budget too.

New to the forums but I've been following progress on the Metro for a few years. Is there a rough timeline for the completion of the SWML stations and what order they'll be completed in? I've heard Magor and Undy is likely to be the first one.

The only one with planning permission I believe it Cardiff Parkway, and I think that will be first, if any of the mainline stations to be built.

 

[positron]

Cardiff parkway probably won't be first as it's still going through funding shenanigans because they're insisting on getting private sector funding. Magor and Undy being a walking and cycling station rather than a big park and ride should make it quite quick to implement and potentially require minimal planning permission if it's within the railway boundary.

To answer the question I don't think there's any official timelines or ordering yet, all we know for sure is there is some funding allocated and they'll probably end up getting built.

 

[The exile]

I'm sorry, but "lightning pace" is just ridiculous.

“Lightning” is probably inappropriate - but the project isn’t exactly snail-like compared with some of its contemporaries: South Wales Metro basically dates as a concept from 2012 and has thus been ongoing for 14 years. The opening of the main phase of Stuttgart 21 might now be in 2027 - no less than 33 years after the launch of the project. The restoration of the Dresdner Bahn through Berlin was completed last year - after 27 years.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

“Lightning” is probably inappropriate - but the project isn’t exactly snail-like compared with some of its contemporaries: South Wales Metro basically dates as a concept from 2012 and has thus been ongoing for 14 years. The opening of the main phase of Stuttgart 21 might now be in 2027 - no less than 33 years after the launch of the project. The restoration of the Dresdner Bahn through Berlin was completed last year - after 27 years.

Yes, but my post wasn't to condemn the project as ridiculously slow, it was to condemn the idea that it's gone at a lightning pace.

 

[zwk500]

I don't know if it's been picked up earlier in the thread, but the electrification of sections of the Rhymney line has now had ORR authorisation for Entry into Service: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/defaul...-authorisation-letter-dated-12-march-2026.pdf

This authorisation is for placing into service of CVL - electrification of the...
CAR-A EE4 works that have been recorded in SJR32 (CSM-RA) and SJR78
(NTSN). The footprint of the authorisation is from Overhead Line Structure (ELR:
CAR) CAR/11/704 (8 mile 35 chains) to the limit of Electrification at Overhead Line
Structure CAR/36/709 (23 mile 78 chains) (ELR: CAR). The footprint includes
Rhymney sidings; the southern sidings limits is structure CAR/36/207 (23 mile 53
chains); and the northern sidings limit is structure CAR/36/378 (23 mile 62 chains)
(ELR: CAR).
Page 1 of 3
The restrictions or limitations of use on the structural subsystem are those contained
on the UK declaration of verification TRAN01-KAW-ZZ-CVL-UPF-Z-MF-000185,
Version P02 and contained in technical file ApBo DeBo Technical File ACS/3167
CAR 4A Energy Technical File – Design and Production (EE4A) ACS3167R54,
Issue 02.
and
CAR-A EE3B-1 & EE3B-2 works that have been recorded in SJR31 (CSM-RA)
and SJR76 (NTSN). The footprint of the authorisation is from Overhead Line
Structure (ELR: CAR) CAR/02/313 (02 mile 49 chains) to the limit of Electrification at
Overhead Line Structure CRY/07/656 (02 mile 58 chains), on the Coryton Branch
line (ELR: CRY) and to the limit of electrification at Caerphilly Station in Bay Platform
at Overhead Line Structure CAR/11/390 (08 mile 21 chains) (ELR: CAR).
The restrictions or limitations of use on the structural subsystem are those contained
on the UK declaration of verification TRAN01-KAW-ZZ-CVL-UPF-Z-MF-000176,
Version P02 and contained in technical file ApBo DeBo Technical File ACS/3167
CAR 3B Energy Technical File – Design and Production (EE3B-1 & EE3B-2)
ACS3167R49, Issue 03.
The Energy subsystem authorised by this letter must be operated and maintained in
accordance with Regulation 20...

It was only uploaded to the ORR website yesterday, despite being dated from last Thursday.

 

[cloakanddagger]

Cardiff parkway probably won't be first as it's still going through funding shenanigans because they're insisting on getting private sector funding. Magor and Undy being a walking and cycling station rather than a big park and ride should make it quite quick to implement and potentially require minimal planning permission if it's within the railway boundary.

To answer the question I don't think there's any official timelines or ordering yet, all we know for sure is there is some funding allocated and they'll probably end up getting built.

That makes sense, getting walkway stations built with minimal planning permission feels like a no-brainer where it's possible. In that regard I'm surprised there was no recommendation in the Burns report to reopen the two disused SWML stations between Cardiff and Newport (Roath and Marshfield). Both those areas wouldn't need track realigning to have a new station built and a reopened Roath station could also be a walking and cycling station given the high density of the local area.

 

[positron]

I guess they consider Newport Road station and Cardiff parkway good enough for now. I suspect once they're built and usage is up then they can look to add even more new ones. They do have to balance the capacity between express, regional, local stoppers and freight across the 4 tracks though.

The other thing is that while walking stations are useful, they do limit the modal shift compared to ones you can drive and park at.

 

[John R]

Roath station is an interesting one, particularly being 5 mins walk from where I spent my childhood. One issue would be that from there, it's walkable to the city centre (my father did it 4 times a day for 40 years), so I'm not sure how attractive it would be, particularly for those living west of the station where the journey time difference would be even less.

 

[sefyllian]

Roath station is an interesting one, particularly being 5 mins walk from where I spent my childhood. One issue would be that from there, it's walkable to the city centre (my father did it 4 times a day for 40 years), so I'm not sure how attractive it would be, particularly for those living west of the station where the journey time difference would be even less.

The potential routes in the consultation for the Crossrail extension to Newport Road showed several new stations that would serve much the same area, for instance on Moorland Road, so Roath is probably considered unnecessary (even if it would be a shorter route to Central)

 

[MikePJ]

I don't know if it's been picked up earlier in the thread, but the electrification of sections of the Rhymney line has now had ORR authorisation for Entry into Service: https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/defaul...-authorisation-letter-dated-12-march-2026.pdf

It was only uploaded to the ORR website yesterday, despite being dated from last thursday.

That's good news! The Bay line is supposed to be energised next weekend - there's a blockade at Queen St on Sunday 22nd.

 

[vikingsmb]

rover way will be a problem as thats the main road to the docks for HGV's etc, it needs widening to dual carriageway

 

[MikePJ]

rover way will be a problem as thats the main road to the docks for HGV's etc, it needs widening to dual carriageway

Looking at the map, I don't think street running on Rover Way is proposed - just a possible station called "Rover Way" and located near the Rover Way / Ocean Way roundabout.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Mar 2026 ==

There’s another big article in RAIL this week about the Metro, talking about the slow progress on the Bay line and the decision to put back the Queen St upgrade to April 2027. Apparently there’ll be a three week blockade to do this, for alterations to track layout, signalling and platform heights.

No mention of the issues with the 398s, so TfW’s PR team are evidently capable of giving a positive spin to the trade press.

 

[positron]

Probably blaming the infrastructure team for the slow progress and delay in introduction when in reality they probably slowed them down because of the issues with the 398.

 

[Smwrff]

rover way will be a problem as thats the main road to the docks for HGV's etc, it needs widening to dual carriageway

There is no street running planned for Rover Way - there is an existing freight line running from Cardiff East (Newport Road/Rover Way) all the way to Ocean Way roundabout. Google Earth is your friend!!

 

[positron]

Interesting that the map they have shows it running south of the eastern link road despite the current freight line running to the north of the road.

Anyway this is getting into speculation territory so probably best future discussion on that part of cross rail goes into the other thread.

With the electrification of the rhymney line being approved by the ORR is there any sign of it being used for passenger services yet?

 

[AdamWW]

No mention of the issues with the 398s, so TfW’s PR team are evidently capable of giving a positive spin to the trade press.

They certainly are.

Like the one about all the exciting electrification work to be done over a two week line closure without mentioning that the closure had been announced with well under a week's notice.

 

[positron]

Did ynyswen station ever get finished and reopened or is that still closed?

 

[John R]

Did ynyswen station ever get finished and reopened or is that still closed?

A quick look at any online planner, RTT etc, will tell you that it is very much open for business.

 

[5021]

It reopened with the start of the current timetable on 14th December.

 

[vikingsmb]

There is no street running planned for Rover Way - there is an existing freight line running from Cardiff East (Newport Road/Rover Way) all the way to Ocean Way roundabout. Google Earth is your friend!!

Ok thanks

 

[Cardiff4]

Local Cardiff City Councillors have been told by TfW that Ty Glas station will reopen in early April with the exact date to confirmed next week.

A quick look on TfW's website shows that tickets from Ty Glas are available for purchase from Saturday April 4th and stops at Ty Glas are also shown on Realtime Trains from that date. Hopefully there will be no unexpected delays and
the station reopening will take place on this day.

 

[AdamWW]

Local Cardiff City Councillors have been told by TfW that Ty Glas station will reopen in early April with the exact date to confirmed next week.

A quick look on TfW's website shows that tickets from Ty Glas are available for purchase from Saturday April 4th and stops at Ty Glas are also shown on Realtime Trains from that date. Hopefully there will be no unexpected delays and
the station reopening will take place on this day.

That's good! It certainly looks ready to open again.