• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

South Wales 'Metro' updates

TT-ONR-NRN

TT-ONR-NRN

Established Member
Joined
30 Dec 2016
Messages
10,484
Location
Farnham
stuu said:
I have had that too, on XC though, not in South Wales... TM didn't actually say why, just said I should sit down because there are seats available, and this was definitely him giving an order rather than trying to be helpful. I said I was only going one stop and he asked me to sit down again. Very strange
Click to expand...
I hope you told him that there is absolutely no obligation to remain seated as on an aircraft, and would encourage you to please issue a complaint to CrossCountry, as this sort of thing should be nipped in the bud.

Returning to the thread topic, has much more progress been made with replacing the horribly faded and dirty Arriva Rail Alphabet/turquoise signage? Heath High Level's looked disgraceful when I saw it a few months back.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

MK Tom

MK Tom

Established Member
Joined
31 Aug 2011
Messages
2,422
Location
Milton Keynes
It's conspicuous that Robert Schwadl still hasn't added Cardiff to his excellent urbanrail.net website: https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/euromet.htm

I wonder if it falls short of his standards for inclusion as a "metro" system on service frequency or electrification? He normally includes planned / under construction systems from fairly early on, and includes a lot of urban commuter rail systems too.
 
The exile

The exile

Established Member
Joined
31 Mar 2010
Messages
2,724
Location
Somerset
MK Tom said:
It's conspicuous that Robert Schwadl still hasn't added Cardiff to his excellent urbanrail.net website: https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/euromet.htm

I wonder if it falls short of his standards for inclusion as a "metro" system on service frequency or electrification? He normally includes planned / under construction systems from fairly early on, and includes a lot of urban commuter rail systems too.
Click to expand...
It is (as yet) neither an underground nor a tramway system. Glasgow’s extensive suburban network is also not mapped, nor are things like the Berlin S-Bahn.
 
M

Markdvdman

Member
Joined
14 Aug 2011
Messages
407
Location
Merthyr Tydfil / Gorslas
Just passed Quakers Yards. The lighting is fine not mental but cannot any need for them to be there unless of course the lighting is considered too little for security for lone women maybe?
 
B

Brissle Girl

Established Member
Joined
17 Jul 2018
Messages
2,664
TT-ONR-NRN said:
I hope you told him that there is absolutely no obligation to remain seated as on an aircraft, and would encourage you to please issue a complaint to CrossCountry, as this sort of thing should be nipped in the bud.
Click to expand...
However, standing in the aisle immediately adjacent to sitting passengers will undoubtedly make their journey less comfortable. So if there were plenty of seats available and a group of four chose to stand next to me then I’d be a bit annoyed, and would welcome them being asked to sit down in available seats.

Also, if there are standing passengers when there is no need for them then it can unnecessarily impede the progress of the trolley down the train.

Also, passengers choosing to stand in vestibules can and do increase dwell times - I’ve often seen that.

Ultimately, it’s not an unreasonable instruction, and if given an instruction by a member of railway staff you are obliged to comply.
 
TT-ONR-NRN

TT-ONR-NRN

Established Member
Joined
30 Dec 2016
Messages
10,484
Location
Farnham
Brissle Girl said:
However, standing in the aisle immediately adjacent to sitting passengers will undoubtedly make their journey less comfortable. So if there were plenty of seats available and a group of four chose to stand next to me then I’d be a bit annoyed, and would welcome them being asked to sit down in available seats.
Click to expand...
Admittedly a fair point, yes :)

Brissle Girl said:
and if given an instruction by a member of railway staff you are obliged to comply.
Click to expand...
Don’t agree with this at all though, not in all circumstances.
 
P

positron

Member
Joined
4 Jul 2023
Messages
127
Location
Cardiff
Does anyone know when they plan to fix the track at Radyr to be at the right height compared to the platform. It's got to be one of the largest gaps on the valleys network.
 
TT-ONR-NRN

TT-ONR-NRN

Established Member
Joined
30 Dec 2016
Messages
10,484
Location
Farnham
positron said:
Does anyone know when they plan to fix the track at Radyr to be at the right height compared to the platform. It's got to be one of the largest gaps on the valleys network.
Click to expand...
Is the distance between the train and the platform perhaps reduced for a 398 though?
 
Jacob Didcote

Jacob Didcote

Member
Joined
27 Mar 2019
Messages
204
Location
Barry
positron said:
Does anyone know when they plan to fix the track at Radyr to be at the right height compared to the platform. It's got to be one of the largest gaps on the valleys network.
Click to expand...
Doesn't help as the track is canted. Pentre-Bach has quite a high step...need to pole vault to get yourself up into the unit!!!
 
A

AdamWW

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2012
Messages
3,666
anthony263 said:
Be interesting to see how the 756s cope when they enter service in june
Click to expand...

Presumably like, say, Heath High Level which is also on a curve - there will still be a gap but not as much as with "high floor" designs.
 
B

bradleyd

Member
Joined
4 Apr 2011
Messages
118
Location
South Wales, but from the flat Southlands of lincs
I don't know when it's reopening, but I have seen a few trains on the treherbert branch at ponty today. No idea whether this headcode is for 'test' or 'treherbert'
 

Attachments

  • IMG20240123112954.jpg
    IMG20240123112954.jpg
    4.3 MB · Views: 153
  • Screenshot_2024-01-23-11-28-40-38_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-01-23-11-28-40-38_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg
    305 KB · Views: 152
  • Screenshot_2024-01-23-11-28-49-76_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg
    Screenshot_2024-01-23-11-28-49-76_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg
    263.4 KB · Views: 152
A

AdamWW

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2012
Messages
3,666
bradleyd said:
I don't know when it's reopening, but I have seen a few trains on the treherbert branch at ponty today. No idea whether this headcode is for 'test' or 'treherbert'
Click to expand...

It looks odd to see the same headcode letter for services in both directions, but as they seem to be running as Treherbert to Treherbert services, I'd go for the "T" meaning Treherbert.
 
A

AdamWW

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2012
Messages
3,666
bradleyd said:
They've been running up and down all day (every time I look at traksy, I've missed the reverse journey and how far Cardiffwards they travelled
Click to expand...

Realtimetrains shows them (today) shuttling in the main back and forth between Treherbert and Pontypridd.
 
M

MikePJ

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2015
Messages
450
Another consultation has gone live, with a helpful list of plans and target dates for 2024.

Quoting from the document:

Transformation Programme major works to be implemented during 2024
  • Commissioning of Taffs Well depot
  • Energisation of new Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) from south of Heath Junction to Coryton and Lisvane & Thornhill plus the bay platform at Caerphilly station
  • Energisation of new OLE on the Cardiff Bay branch along with platform changes at Cardiff Bay station
Click to expand...
  • Reopening of Ynyswen station with a new platform to serve the new passing loop and a new accessible station footbridge
  • Entry into operational use of the platform extensions at Waun Gron Park, Fairwater and Danescourt on the City Line
  • Entry into operational use of the new second platform at Aberdare station to serve the passing loop which was commissioned in May 2023
  • Line speed changes and recovery of the engineer’s siding at Pontypridd Station
Click to expand...

There will also be a "continuation" of the programme to correct platform heights and offsets for level boarding.

Appendix A (below) is an updated map of the Metro infrastructure works that we all know and love, but the second page shows target dates for signalling commissioning and overhead energisation. I'll summarise these below:

Already completed:
- Merthyr and Aberdare to "West Boundary" (close to Ninian Park) and Gabalfa signalling
- Treherbert to Pontypridd signalling
- Wires live from Pontypridd to West Boundary and Gabalfa
- Wires live from Pontypridd to Merthyr and Cwmbach

New target dates:
- Feb 2024: wires energised from Cwmbach to Aberdare
- May 2024: wires energised from Pontypridd to Treherbert
- November 2024: wires to be energised from Caerphilly and Coryton to Queen St, and on the Cardiff Bay branch
- May 2025: signalling changes in central Cardiff (Cathays to Queen St, Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay)
- also in May 2025: energise the second track and crossover on the Bay line
- September 2025: energise wires from Caerphilly to Rhymney
- May 2026: energise Tir-Phil loop and new platform at Rhymney
- also in May 2026: commission new signalling on the Rhymney and Coryton lines north of Queen St, and on the Penarth branch south of Cogan Junction

Also worth noting is Appendix C, showing the planned track layout and signalling on the Rhymney, Coryton and Cardiff Bay lines.
 

Attachments

  • Appendix A TRAN01-KAW-ZZ-CVL-YPA-Z-MF-000001 vP11 22-12-23.pdf
    2.9 MB · Views: 119
  • Appendix C TRAN01-PSP-ZZ-CVL-DDR-Y-EP-000003-S1-P02.pdf
    1.9 MB · Views: 155
  • CVL G5 Notice of Intended Scope for the Transformation Programme to be implemented during 2024 .pdf
    276.5 KB · Views: 47
  • Cover Letter Industry Consultation CVL G5 Notice of Intended Scope CVLNC-CP02-G5.pdf
    117.6 KB · Views: 39
Last edited:
anthony263

anthony263

Established Member
Joined
19 Aug 2008
Messages
6,536
Location
South Wales
MikePJ said:
Another consultation has gone live, with a helpful list of plans and target dates for 2024.

Quoting from the document:




There will also be a "continuation" of the programme to correct platform heights and offsets for level boarding.

Appendix A (below) is an updated map of the Metro infrastructure works that we all know and love, but the second page shows target dates for signalling commissioning and overhead energisation. I'll summarise these below:

Already completed:
- Merthyr and Aberdare to "West Boundary" (close to Ninian Park) and Gabalfa signalling
- Treherbert to Pontypridd signalling
- Wires live from Pontypridd to West Boundary and Gabalfa
- Wires live from Pontypridd to Merthyr and Cwmbach

New target dates:
- Feb 2024: wires energised from Cwmbach to Aberdare
- May 2024: wires energised from Pontypridd to Treherbert
- November 2024: wires to be energised from Caerphilly and Coryton to Queen St, and on the Cardiff Bay branch
- May 2025: signalling changes in central Cardiff (Cathays to Queen St, Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay)
- also in May 2025: energise the second track and crossover on the Bay line
- September 2025: energise wires from Caerphilly to Rhymney
- May 2026: energise Tir-Phil loop and new platform at Rhymney
- also in May 2026: commission new signalling on the Rhymney and Coryton lines north of Queen St, and on the Penarth branch south of Cogan Junction

Also worth noting is Appendix B, showing the planned track layout and signalling on the Rhymney, Coryton and Cardiff Bay lines.
Click to expand...
No appendix B attached
 
M

MikePJ

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2015
Messages
450
anthony263 said:
No appendix B attached
Click to expand...
Sorry - that was a typo (now fixed). Appendix C is the track diagram. There is an Appendix B on the main G5 document which gives a very brief overview of works to improve stations, but gives no specifics.
 
B

Brissle Girl

Established Member
Joined
17 Jul 2018
Messages
2,664
59CosG95 said:
Appendix C certainly clears up where the live, dead and no-wires sections are!
Click to expand...
Yes, it’s a great reference for those of us following the project closely.

I’m slightly surprised that the wires don’t start again immediately north of Caerphilly tunnel and that the line through Caerphilly will remain unwired.
 
M

MikePJ

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2015
Messages
450
Brissle Girl said:
Yes, it’s a great reference for those of us following the project closely.

I’m slightly surprised that the wires don’t start again immediately north of Caerphilly tunnel and that the line through Caerphilly will remain unwired.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the fact that wiring is provided to the bay platform only is certainly novel!
 
CapitalStar378

CapitalStar378

Member
Joined
22 Jun 2013
Messages
388
So what do these very long timescales mean for the introduction of the 756s on the Rhymney line? Also 2026 is several years late rather than the original several months delay announcement.

MikePJ said:
Yeah, the fact that wiring is provided to the bay platform only is certainly novel!
Click to expand...
Charging for the Caerphilly shuttle units?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top