South Wales 'Metro' updates

[Merthyr Imp]

Yes I remember - that was nearly 30 years ago!

From what I remember it was around 1998.

 

[mrmartin]

Any update on Crwys Road?

 

[Envoy]

2 photos of the Taff’s Well depot today. Thought it would have been nearly finished by now - far from it!

 

[CapitalStar378]

2 photos of the Taff’s Well depot today. Thought it would have been nearly finished by now - far from it!

I think the planned completion date is June, that's when the track will be connected anyway.

 

[Hwnt52]

Quick visit this morning to the redoubling at Pentre-bach on the Merthyr Line. Track has been laid since Monday and completion appears to be close.

 

[Tumbleweed]

On the train yesterday I noticed that just before Trefforest Estate station the two tracks have been 'opened up' - a large gap has appeared between the two lines. Is this down to improving line speeds?

 

[Lawner]

This is likely part of the works to move Trefforest Estate station.

 

[Envoy]

Wales on Line have an article on the Metro today:>

Cost of Welsh Government South Wales Metro project soars to £1bn

The impact of the pandemic and soaring construction inflation has seen a big rise on the initial budget of £734m

www.walesonline.co.uk

"Chief executive of Transport for Wales, James Price, said the project would come in around 40% more than the original forecast of £734m and be mainly completed in 2024. Full implementation of a new timetable, that will see a significant increase in service frequency and capacity with new tram-trains and trimode rolling stock, is on track for 2025".

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

"75% complete".
James Price says this about the Metro project in the walesonline interview.
I'm not in a position to judge progress, but I suspect he is a hostage to fortune there.
With novel electrification, new untried trains and signalling, it's a huge ask to get it up and running by the end of 2025.
It's not as though TfW is having startling success with its other rail projects, either (Mk4, 175, 230, 397 etc), though the resources involved in the Metro are different.
The cost overrun is no different to other electrification projects and HS2, but the Welsh government will have to deal with the consequences.

 

[Brissle Girl]

“If there is genuinely less demand at times we can amend services as we are not locked into anything. You could connect two trains together and run them less frequently for a portion of the day.”

Is this the first hint that 4tph may be for lesser periods (eg evenings) than the original plan? If you need to connect two trains together then I'd suggest the demand is still there.

 

[Anonymous10]

“If there is genuinely less demand at times we can amend services as we are not locked into anything. You could connect two trains together and run them less frequently for a portion of the day.”

Is this the first hint that 4tph may be for lesser periods (eg evenings) than the original plan? If you need to connect two trains together then I'd suggest the demand is still there.

Equally could only be for parts of the routes till lines split then they go their separate ways which might help with staffing?

 

[Envoy]

The lead story on ITV Wales News (29 March 2023) was The Metro. BBC Wales could not be bothered to cover it at all - despite the Press Release about the official launch of the Class 231’s at Caerphilly.

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-03-29/rail-boss-defends-closing-major-valleys-line-for-rest-of-the-year

"Passengers living on the routes of the core valley lines have become used to regular closures as track and electrification work has been carried out."

 

[Phil from Mon]

The lead story on ITV Wales News (29 March 2023) was The Metro. BBC Wales could not be bothered to cover it at all - despite the Press Release about the official launch of the Class 231’s at Caerphilly.

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-03-29/rail-boss-defends-closing-major-valleys-line-for-rest-of-the-year

What was I watching on Wales Today last night then? Covered the cost increase and the new trains about 10 minutes in.

 

[allaction]

The lead story on ITV Wales News (29 March 2023) was The Metro. BBC Wales could not be bothered to cover it at all - despite the Press Release about the official launch of the Class 231’s at Caerphilly.

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-03-29/rail-boss-defends-closing-major-valleys-line-for-rest-of-the-year

What was I watching on Wales Today last night then? Covered the cost increase and the new trains about 10 minutes in.

Yes, and the BBC online story is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65115780.amp

 

[Envoy]

What was I watching on Wales Today last night then? Covered the cost increase and the new trains about 10 minutes in.

Oops - missed it and it was not mentioned in the headline news on Wales Today.

 

[rf_ioliver]

This is likely part of the works to move Trefforest Estate station.

What are the plans? Last time there was an idea to rebuilt it on Power Station Hill to better serve Tonteg?

Also, does anyone have any pictures of the works at Trefforest Estate?

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

What are the plans? Last time there was an idea to rebuilt it on Power Station Hill to better serve Tonteg?

It's not that! The plan is to move the station further south so serve Coleg y Cymoedd and the DWP. Presumably it involves building a new bridge across the River Taf.

 

[59CosG95]

Some recent pictures of progress in the Valleys from one "Graham Benbow". All dated 15/03/23.

Treforest area
https://flic.kr/p/2onggAt - Treforest Estate. The southbound line (the Down line?) is wired through the old station now.
https://flic.kr/p/2onggXv - another one of Treforest Estate.

https://flic.kr/p/2onx1Av - Treforest - looking north from the footbridge. Foundations being cast for the new footbridge?

Aberdare Line
Not much progress at Aberdare itself.

https://flic.kr/p/2onyd7Z - Cwmbach - the area behind the single platform has been thoroughly devegged now. Note the OLE steelwork in the cess opposite.
https://flic.kr/p/2onxMcA - another one behind the platform at Cwmbach. Note the OLE masts all up beyond the platform in the background on the Aberdare side.

https://flic.kr/p/2onvGvr - Fernhill - looking north. 1 of 2 masts opposite the platform are now in. The pile for the missing mast is between the "W" board and the milepost.

https://flic.kr/p/2onydzx - Mountain Ash - looking north from the south end of the station. TTC south of the bridge on the northbound (up?) side has no boom.
https://flic.kr/p/2onydBm - Mountain Ash - looking north from the footbridge. TTC north of the bridge in on the southbound (Dn?) side, with boom and bktd stovepipes in.
https://flic.kr/p/2onydBB - Mountain Ash - looking south from the footbridge. The aforementioned boomless TTC is here again. Another TTC can be seen south of the station in the cess awaiting installation.

https://flic.kr/p/2onxTmK - Penrhiwceiber - looking south from the footbridge. Cantilevers are now being fitted on the masts in the platform area.
https://flic.kr/p/2onyj7p - Penrhiwceiber - looking north at the north end of the station beyond the footbridge. 1 mast up north of the FB, another waiting in the cess.

Merthyr Line
https://flic.kr/p/2onvHzA - Pentre-Bach - looking north. TTCs now in at north end of station, and also beyond the station.
https://flic.kr/p/2onvHBK - Pentre-Bach - looking south. STCs in on the western side at the south end.

https://flic.kr/p/2onxQrX - Troed-y-rhiw - looking north. New speed sign and STC mast beyond underbridge at north end of station.
https://flic.kr/p/2onwXo8 - Troed-y-rhiw - looking south. 2 new STCs now up in the station, but have now cantilever yet.

Not much in the way of progress at Merthyr Vale.

https://flic.kr/p/2onwZjC - Quaker's Yard - looking south over the platform extensions.
https://flic.kr/p/2onxSpV - Quaker's yard - looking east over the foot crossing.

Not much progress at Abercynon either.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Oops - missed it and it was not mentioned in the headline news on Wales Today.

You probably drifted off in places through the program. I have replayed documentaries with friends and we are amazed how much we were missing even on the second showing. We were each missing different things.

 

[rftorf]

This was Merthyr Vale on 19th March.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is for actual updates and also any posts that are referring to an external source should have a link to, and text quote from, the source please.

Anything of a speculative nature and/or not directly related to South Wales Metro updates should be posted in a new thread, or the new one below:

Potential TfW services outside Wales?

Seems TFW would like to run to Bristol and London according to Mr Price. Keep the 158s and run.to Waterloo via Bristol TM lol cover both goals

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[59CosG95]

South Wales Metro final cost re-evaluation

News from Transport For Wales

news.tfw.wales

This was published earlier today. Very detailed update from TfW as to the cost hike and delays to the programme.

Summary

Despite the unforeseeable challenges presented to the project team over the last three years, we remain committed to delivering the transformational South Wales Metro project while also providing the best possible value for money for the people of Wales.

Cost increases and project delays are of course disappointing, but not uncommon for a hugely ambitious project of this scale. The Metro team however have managed these normal challenges well but have been significantly impacted by programme delays due to the pandemic and much higher inflation pressures which were not foreseen at planning stage of this project.

We’ve recently entered the first of our brand-new South Wales Metro trains into service on to the Rhymney Line and this marked the beginning of an incredibly exciting period of change that will take place over the next few years. We have also now started taking delivery of the Metro Vehicles into the new Taff’s Well depot.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

South Wales Metro final cost re-evaluation

News from Transport For Wales

news.tfw.wales

This was published earlier today. Very detailed update from TfW as to the cost hike and delays to the programme.

A surprising degree of openess and honesty rather than hiding behind jargon.

 

[59CosG95]

A surprising degree of openess and honesty rather than hiding behind jargon.

Absolutely - very refreshing too.

Photo below shows the City Line in Cardiff.

@Envoy posted this in another thread regarding OLE aesthetics; looks like the Up line through Fairwater has had its Cat & Con run. Thought it was worthy of inclusion here.

 

[snowball]

Press release

No crane no gain: Network Rail install first part of new fully accessible footbridge at Llanhilleth station

Engineers from Network Rail and contractors, AmcoGiffen, completed lifting a fifteen-piece footbridge using a mobile 230-tonne-crane at Llanhilleth, South Wales, last week.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Engineers from Network Rail and contractors, AmcoGiffen, completed lifting a fifteen-piece footbridge using a mobile 230-tonne-crane at Llanhilleth, South Wales, last week.

The five-day closure of the line, from 25 to 30 March, saw a team of 13 engineers guiding the near 65-tonne-footbridge onto its new foundations across the Ebbw Vale line.

As part of the Ebbw Vale enhancement scheme that will see an increase in service from Newport to Ebbw Vale town, the crane lifts took only a day-and-a-half in some very wet weather conditions to complete.

The footbridge, manufactured away from site, was installed section-by-section and consisted of eight columns, six sections of stairs and the 17.9 metre-long-bridge span that weighed 15.5 tonnes.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Of the cost/time overrun, the main one in the control of the project is "infrastructure constraints".
Things like 10km of utility diversions they didn't anticipate, and electrification impacting MRI scanners at the University, necessitating a redesign.
Just as with DfT projects, cost overruns will impact other projects in Wales.
Also note that the sequencing of the project still depends to a degree on the capability of NR at Cardiff ROC to implement some of the Metro signalling changes.

 

[rftorf]

Some shots of the new platform, footbridge and track doubling works at Quakers Yard and a
couple of shots of the new metalwork at Abercynon this afternoon (09/04/23).

 

[mrmartin]

Crwys road station had a new plan uploaded to the Cardiff planning site showing various elevations last week, not particularly interesting but at least some movement on the planning application.

 

[Envoy]

Work is progressing slowly to lengthen the platforms at Waungron Park on the City Line. I thought that these tram-trains were going to be short and frequent so am surprised that they are lengthening the platforms. Do they plan to have 2 units running together?

See photo taken at Waungron Park 9 April 2023 looking south from the city bound platform.

 

[rftorf]

Work is progressing slowly to lengthen the platforms at Waungron Park on the City Line. I thought that these tram-trains were going to be short and frequent so am surprised that they are lengthening the platforms. Do they plan to have 2 units running together?

See photo taken at Waungron Park 9 April 2023 looking south from the city bound platf

I'm pretty sure I did read somewhere that there were plans to run some in pairs.