Plans to create a South Wales Metro network connecting Cardiff and the South Wales valleys are set to take to the tracks this year.
The £1 billion “Welsh Tube” project has been in the works since 2013, with goals to have much of the work complete by the start of 2026.
It aims to make a “more reliable, faster, greener and more accessible transport system” for the people of South Wales.
According to Transport for Wales, 36 new electrically powered tram-trains will run on over 170km (105.6 miles) of electrified track supported by brand new stations and upgrades to existing stops.
Six colour-coded “core” lines will connect Cardiff to Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert – each with stops along the way and a contactless payment system.
The rail operator said that the line will run more weekday and Sunday services “than ever before”, with trains every 15 minutes between Cardiff and the heads of each valley (Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Treherbert).
Six trains an hour will run between Caerphilly and Cardiff, 12 between Pontypridd and Cardiff, and more frequent evening trains will serve the lines.
On Sundays, the service will deliver two trains per hour between Cardiff and the heads of each valley.
Engineering and infrastructure work to upgrade the rail network started in August 2020, with the Coryton line and the Rhymney line from Cardiff Queen Street to Caerphilly recently electrified.
New trains are set to join the Coryton and Caerphilly lines to Penarth this summer.
Passengers may have already seen new Stadler Citylink tram-trains and Stadler Fast Light Intercity and Regional Trains (FLIRT) trains on the railways, with eight trains currently serving the Rhymney line.
The modern fleet features level boarding, increased bicycle storage space and air conditioning for journeys across South Wales.
Work costing more than £100m is ongoing to establish Taff’s Well as the Metro Depot in South Wales – home to the 36 Metro tram-trains and over 400 staff members.
In the Welsh capital, longer-term ambitions for rail at Cardiff Central aim to link the transport hub with the South Wales Mainline and a link to Cardiff Bay.
The South Wales Metro project has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the UK and Welsh Governments via the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal.
Transport for Wales said: “We’re investing £5 billion in the Wales and Borders rail service as a whole and we’ve also started work on the North Wales Metro scheme which will take shape in the coming years.”
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