South Wales 'Metro' updates

[positron]

I had a ride on the Bay branch today, and saw a fair amount of construction activity. In particular, there was a large lorry unloading very large pre-cast concrete slabs which looked like they might be for the top of the new platform.

Yep having been past on the train I've noticed they have tactile paving built in so definitely platform slabs. I've also spotted they've started to fill in the new platform with stone to building it up, but only as far as the original platform edge not the new edge so not sure what the plan is from here. I would have guessed they'd put the new edge in and then fill with stones?

Very little progress with the track too it seems to have come to a standstill. I do wonder how much faster they'd get it all done if they just did a month long closure and got on with it.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Yep having been past on the train I've noticed they have tactile paving built in so definitely platform slabs. I've also spotted they've started to fill in the new platform with stone to building it up, but only as far as the original platform edge not the new edge so not sure what the plan is from here. I would have guessed they'd put the new edge in and then fill with stones?

Very little progress with the track too it seems to have come to a standstill. I do wonder how much faster they'd get it all done if they just did a month long closure and got on with it.

It does feel like a side project for TfW/Amey. Construction started 8 months ago and very little seems to have actually been achieved so far. Maybe there are ground works that aren't obvious but there still seems to be little progress overall.

 

[mrmartin]

Any update on Crwys Road since it has been approved?

 

[CapitalStar378]

Any update on Crwys Road since it has been approved?

No and TfW refused to be drawn on when work would start when I Tweeted (Xed?) them a while back. Their PR and socials team are way too cagey, it's annoying.

 

[markymark2000]

No and TfW refused to be drawn on when work would start when I Tweeted (Xed?) them a while back. Their PR and socials team are way too cagey, it's annoying.

They want the benefits of being govt owned/ran (such as the pensions) but don't want to be held accountable like a public body.

 

[Brissle Girl]

No and TfW refused to be drawn on when work would start when I Tweeted (Xed?) them a while back. Their PR and socials team are way too cagey, it's annoying.

It could be as simple as they don’t yet have a firm answer. Until they do they won’t want to commit to anything.

 

[Bob Price]

Big difference to getting planning permission and actually building, see Reading Green Park as an example. Does anyone have a link to the plans anywhere please?

Ignore me, found it

 

[56xx]

Big difference to getting planning permission and actually building, see Reading Green Park as an example. Does anyone have a link to the plans anywhere please?

Ignore me, found it

For anybody else looking the plans are available on Cardiff City Council Planning site ref PRAP/22/00046/MJR

 

[CapitalStar378]

It could be as simple as they don’t yet have a firm answer. Until they do they won’t want to commit to anything.

It could, but the original plan was for Crwys Rd to be open by 2023, obviously this isn't going to happen but they must have a schedule for construction. These jobs take a long time to plan and recruit for so a date must be pencilled in.

 

[Brissle Girl]

It could, but the original plan was for Crwys Rd to be open by 2023, obviously this isn't going to happen but they must have a schedule for construction. These jobs take a long time to plan and recruit for so a date must be pencilled in.

Unless you happen to be someone with a genuine business type interest (eg journalist, councillor, AM), organisations are unlikely to offer out information to any random member of the public who asks. For the simple reason that, particularly with social media, the dissemination of that info becomes uncontrolled.

Any organisation, whether public or private, will have policies in place which set out when they will announce their plans. And basically it will be when they are ready to. That’s what media relations teams and press offices are there to control. Just because Joe on Twitter asks doesn’t mean they will or have any obligation to answer, else things would soon become completely unmanageable.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Unless you happen to be someone with a genuine business type interest (eg journalist, councillor, AM), organisations are unlikely to offer out information to any random member of the public who asks. For the simple reason that, particularly with social media, the dissemination of that info becomes uncontrolled.

Any organisation, whether public or private, will have policies in place which set out when they will announce their plans. And basically it will be when they are ready to. That’s what media relations teams and press offices are there to control. Just because Joe on Twitter asks doesn’t mean they will or have any obligation to answer, else things would soon become completely unmanageable.

There's nothing wrong with some transparency, if they gave more, people would ask less. Also much easier than dealing with a FOI request.

 

[Brissle Girl]

There's nothing wrong with some transparency, if they gave more, people would ask less. Also much easier than dealing with a FOI request.

Not from your perspective maybe, but if you are managing the PR, media etc you would have a different view. It’s no accident why organisations of all types around the world adopt the PR practices they do.

 

[Markdvdman]

Well waiting for the train to Cardiff at Pentrebach (walked from Merthyr to it) I spotted the attached sign. Says 3-4 car but I thought the tram trains were 3 car? Or was this put in before commissioned? Or hedging their bets?

 

[rftorf]

Well waiting for the train to Cardiff at Pentrebach (walked from Merthyr to it) I spotted the attached sign. Says 3-4 car but I thought the tram trains were 3 car? Or was this put in before commissioned? Or hedging their bets?

Rumour has it that the new 756s may very well be used on the Taff branches before Rhymney so it could be for that possibly. Just a thought.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Well waiting for the train to Cardiff at Pentrebach (walked from Merthyr to it) I spotted the attached sign. Says 3-4 car but I thought the tram trains were 3 car? Or was this put in before commissioned? Or hedging their bets?

It specifies FLIRTs so it looks like they will definitely be used on the TAM lines ahead of the 398s. It makes sense as there are a lot of 756s with not very much to do and only a handful of 398s at Taff's Well.

 

[AdamWW]

Not from your perspective maybe, but if you are managing the PR, media etc you would have a different view. It’s no accident why organisations of all types around the world adopt the PR practices they do.

Not all seem to be as poor at providing information as TfW though.

 

[RJ]

Noticed some wiring or cables have appeared just south of Troed-y-rhiw this week and some stanchions have appeared near Trehafod.

The City Line is down today, for the first time I’ve seen this year, there will be a rail replacement bus service operating between Radyr and Cardiff.

 

[markymark2000]

Noticed some wiring or cables have appeared just south of Troed-y-rhiw this week and some stanchions have appeared near Trehafod.

The City Line is down today, for the first time I’ve seen this year, there will be a rail replacement bus service operating between Radyr and Cardiff.

Without wanting to go too far off topic, I wonder if the massive reductions to the Cardiff Bus network have meant that the normal ticket acceptance is no longer sufficient as a replacement, even with the rather low passenger numbers. Fairwater 66 ran hourly, now withdrawn. Waun Gron Park has lost nearly 2 buses per hour as well.

 

[RJ]

Without wanting to go too far off topic, I wonder if the massive reductions to the Cardiff Bus network have meant that the normal ticket acceptance is no longer sufficient as a replacement, even with the rather low passenger numbers. Fairwater 66 ran hourly, now withdrawn. Waun Gron Park has lost nearly 2 buses per hour as well.

Quite possibly - the line is closed from 6pm today so will be buses again. Should be a fairly easy route in theory!

 

[Envoy]

Thought that you would like to see the current situation with works on the Cardiff Bay Line at the Bay end. As you can see from my photos, progress is painfully slow.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Thought that you would like to see the current situation with works on the Cardiff Bay Line at the Bay end. As you can see from my photos, progress is painfully slow.

Very painfully, I was home in May and had a scout around, and the only thing I can see that's happened is that those concrete panels have been delivered.

I'm assuming there's no hurry as the 398s are so behind schedule. 756s won't be able to use the completed branch with line of sight signalling.

 

[5021]

Attached is some ideal bedtime reading for insomniacs. Almost every third word is an acronym. One highlight is that we should now refer to smart rather than discontinuous
electrification! We'll have to see how smart it actually is when the 398s start making - or attempting - full length runs.

 

[thejsa]

Spotted some very shiny (steel!) new ticket barriers alongside the old when getting home via Cardiff Central this evening, at the Central Square exit.

Been a fortnight since I was last there so presumably quite recent? (Apologies for the poor photo, I had my hands full!)



Seems to be the Vix Smart Gates referred to in this press release - https://vixtechnology.com/press-rel...to-launch-new-digital-first-smart-gate-in-uk/

Quite excited if this is in advance of a proper PAYG trial, finally…

 

[Techniquest]

I found those at Central the other day, they don't like break of journey!

 

[AlexNL]

Sadly yet another ticket gate design which totally forgets about left-handed people even existing, and does not incorporate any cues in its design to help them (which includes me).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I found those at Central the other day, they don't like break of journey!

Came here to say just that! And Cardiff Central staff being Cardiff Central staff, showed one of them the other day and he said “This says Cardiff Bay to Newport. This is neither.”

 

[Avowedsevern]

Seems to be the Vix Smart Gates referred to in this press release - https://vixtechnology.com/press-rel...to-launch-new-digital-first-smart-gate-in-uk/

The pay as you go feature of these works well in London where things are capped, you would get absolutely fleeced using these in South Wales though

 

[AdamWW]

Sadly yet another ticket gate design which totally forgets about left-handed people even existing, and does not incorporate any cues in its design to help them (which includes me).

Pretty poor.

A bit confusing too even for the right handed - I think you touch your smartcard on the screen but the contactless logo is on the area below that.

I found those at Central the other day, they don't like break of journey!

Yes I got a message telling me to go and buy a valid ticket which seemed a bit rude.

If you can't make a barrier accept all valid tickets (and there are I'm sure good reasons for that) you can at least not accuse people of having invalid tickets.

 

[Signal_Box]

Came here to say just that! And Cardiff Central staff being Cardiff Central staff, showed one of them the other day and he said “This says Cardiff Bay to Newport. This is neither.”

Doesn’t surprise me one bit, makes a mockery of the theory that station staff are the knowledge base of the who are vital to passengers experience!

A fair proportion of station staff treat passengers like a bad dose of something nasty let alone the folk who pay their salaries and respond to campaigns to keep them!

 

[59CosG95]

Not sure if this has been reported yet, but wires are now up through Mountain Ash (https://flic.kr/p/2p2PjJe; https://flic.kr/p/2p21pCj), Abercynon (https://flic.kr/p/2p2QTEG; https://flic.kr/p/2p24pVM) & Penrhiwceiber (https://flic.kr/p/2p25sid).