South Wales 'Metro' updates

[WesternBiker]

The 88 service withdrawn last year because of funding cuts is being resurected from 1st April and will serve the interchange as will Cardiff bus services B1/B2 from the same date

That will certainly help - though one issue with all those routes is they don't really help for evening commuters arriving by train as they tend to finish in the late afternoon. But a step forward is a step forward.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is there any updated news about the proposed Butetown railway station which gives a hoped-for opening date. The last time I heard any thing, it just a generic "Spring 2024" aspiration.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Is there any updated news about the proposed Butetown railway station which gives a hoped-for opening date. The last time I heard any thing, it just a generic "Spring 2024" aspiration.

It doesn't have a 'three letter code' and doesn't appear in Realtime Trains. Whether this is because of tramification and/or transfer of infrastructure to TfW I don't know.
Tre-biwt in Welsh apparently.

 

[AdamWW]

It doesn't have a 'three letter code' and doesn't appear in Realtime Trains. Whether this is because of tramification and/or transfer of infrastructure to TfW I don't know.
Tre-biwt in Welsh apparently.

I've not read anywhere that the intention is to pull out of National Rail through ticketing for any of the "Metro" so presumably in due course it will need to be set up as a National Rail station.

 

[positron]

Is there any updated news about the proposed Butetown railway station which gives a hoped-for opening date. The last time I heard any thing, it just a generic "Spring 2024" aspiration.

Given only one of the platforms is built I doubt it'll be any time soon unless the operate it as part of the single line running before moving over to the full system

 

[MikePJ]

Is there any updated news about the proposed Butetown railway station which gives a hoped-for opening date. The last time I heard any thing, it just a generic "Spring 2024" aspiration.

I cycle past it every day on my way to work. The side facing Lloyd George Avenue is still surrounded by a sea of mud, and the side facing Butetown hasn’t been started. I would not expect it to open until next year at the earliest.

Quoting from the most recent project timeline:

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

It’s possible that Butetown opens with one platform in late 2024 or summer 2025.

 

[AdamWW]

I cycle past it every day on my way to work. The side facing Lloyd George Avenue is still surrounded by a sea of mud, and the side facing Butetown hasn’t been started. I would not expect it to open until next year at the earliest.

Quoting from the most recent project timeline:





It’s possible that Butetown opens with one platform in late 2024 or summer 2025.

Hmm.

Energising then putting the second line into operation is not the order I would have assumed.

 

[CapitalStar378]

I cycle past it every day on my way to work. The side facing Lloyd George Avenue is still surrounded by a sea of mud, and the side facing Butetown hasn’t been started. I would not expect it to open until next year at the earliest.

Quoting from the most recent project timeline:





It’s possible that Butetown opens with one platform in late 2024 or summer 2025.

Just the 2 1/2 years then since the project began!

 

[S-Bahn]

With the timetable change tomorrow and the reinstatement of services to Treherbert, will any of the diagrams to Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert be 4-car 150's?

 

[Krokodil]

With the timetable change tomorrow and the reinstatement of services to Treherbert, will any of the diagrams to Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert be 4-car 150's?

I doubt it, it's a struggle not to cancel services due to lack of units as it is.

 

[Brissle Girl]

And it’s happening.

(Image is of Opentraintimes map, of the first train routing from Treherbert siding on its way to form the 0534 from Treherbert to Cardiff.)

 

[Jacob Didcote]

Porth doesn’t feel the same without the token exchange!

 

[Western 52]

Porth doesn’t feel the same without the token exchange!

Or the semaphores I remember there years ago!

 

[59CosG95]

Very surprising to see "back-to-back" OLE masts on a new scheme!
Since MkIII (and variants of) stopped being top dog for new OLE, the "back-to-back" arrangement has rather fallen out of favour with Network Rail - although, since the route's transfer to TfW, I'm sure TfW decided back-to-back was...well, back in.

 

[bradleyd]

Too days in a row I've been on the 6:37 from ponty to queen street (ex-merthyr) and has felt so much quieter than normal without all of the Rhondda rail replacements getting on it!

Got the 5:39 CDQ-PPD back, and it was a TRB service, vast majority of people seemed to be staying on past ponty

 

[Jacob Didcote]

Too days in a row I've been on the 6:37 from ponty to queen street (ex-merthyr) and has felt so much quieter than normal without all of the Rhondda rail replacements getting on it!

Got the 5:39 CDQ-PPD back, and it was a TRB service, vast majority of people seemed to be staying on past ponty

I overheard some locals earlier who were saying how impressive all the stations are etc. Dinas Rhondda is completely revamped and unrecognisable from its former self!

 

[Avowedsevern]

I overheard some locals earlier who were saying how impressive all the stations are etc. Dinas Rhondda is completely revamped and unrecognisable from its former self!

Dinas Rhondda is now superior to the vast majority of train stations I’ve seen around the world, the improvement vs how it was is extremely impressive.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Very nice this evening to be on an actual train heading to the west country from my parents! Also weird to see double tracks in new places and extra platforms too.

Hard to tell at other stations due to the fading light, but they've done some work at Ton Pentre station at least even though its not one of the stations that needed the major works. We have a new shelter (including a couple of sheltered bike rack things), a few new signs, what looks like new paving on the edge of the platform and more oddly part of the platform now blocked off from use (I've attached a photo of that - assuming it's because of regulations that section didn't match?)

Also noticed a member of staff hanging around at Dinas Rhondda, presumably because of the new platform and lift etc.

 

[CapitalStar378]

I overheard some locals earlier who were saying how impressive all the stations are etc. Dinas Rhondda is completely revamped and unrecognisable from its former self!

I've just watched a video on You Tube and stations not upgraded still have Arriva blue everywhere and no new signs. This is a bit poor after having 9 months possession of the line.

 

[59CosG95]

I've just watched a video on You Tube and stations not upgraded still have Arriva blue everywhere and no new signs. This is a bit poor after having 9 months possession of the line.

Treherbert - done
Ynyswen - still ongoing
Treorchy - looks done but unable to verify
Ton-Pentre - largely done.
Ystrad Rhondda - largely done, but the footbridge and station running boards (i.e. platform signs) still show signs of the Arriva era
Llwynypia - looks done but unable to verify. NO WIRES YET.
Tonypandy - unable to verify, have seen no photos since reopening. NO WIRES YET.
Dinas Rhondda - done (and then some!) - no trace of turquoise anywhere. NO WIRES YET.
Porth - various parts still require painting out of Arriva turquoise
Trehafod - breeze-block shelters still require painting out of Arriva turquoise

From @Jacob Didcote's excellent photos (his one here, as well as Flickr), the wires have yet to run through Porth (in full, anyway).

 

[Envoy]

I have just been to Cardiff Bay. Very disappointing to see the lack of progress.

 

[Jacob Didcote]

Treherbert - done
Ynyswen - still ongoing
Treorchy - looks done but unable to verify
Ton-Pentre - looks done but unable to verify
Ystrad Rhondda - largely done, but the footbridge and station running boards (i.e. platform signs) still show signs of the Arriva era
Llwynypia - looks done but unable to verify
Tonypandy - unable to verify, have seen no photos since reopening
Dinas Rhondda - done (and then some!) - no trace of turquoise anywhere
Porth - various parts still require painting out of Arriva turquoise
Trehafod - breeze-block shelters still require painting out of Arriva turquoise

From @Jacob Didcote's excellent photos (his one here, as well as Flickr), the wires have yet to run through Porth (in full, anyway).

Cheers @59CosG95 ! Thought I'd try showcase most of the stations! Wires do not run through Dinas Rhondda, Llwynypia or Tonypandy either. Ton-Pentre is mainly complete. They have gated off the North end of the platform. Llwynypia has all new Metro branded Lampposts, stop markers, PIS screens. Photos to follow!

 

[positron]

Cheers @59CosG95 ! Thought I'd try showcase most of the stations! Wires do not run through Dinas Rhondda, Llwynypia or Tonypandy either. Ton-Pentre is mainly complete. They have gated off the North end of the platform. Llwynypia has all new Metro branded Lampposts, stop markers, PIS screens. Photos to follow!

Given how much space they have behind the new platform I wonder why they didn't use it to make the platform deeper. Surely better for wheelchair users not to have to squeeze past lampposts

 

[MikePJ]

I have just been to Cardiff Bay. Very disappointing to see the lack of progress.

They've spent the last couple of months burying a large sewer pipe under the site of the widened platform, so whilst it appears that nothing has happened, in fact a lot of concrete has been placed out of sight.

 

[Envoy]

They've spent the last couple of months burying a large sewer pipe under the site of the widened platform, so whilst it appears that nothing has happened, in fact a lot of concrete has been placed out of sight.

Thanks for that Mike. I did see the trench & pipe.

 

[59CosG95]

Given how much space they have behind the new platform I wonder why they didn't use it to make the platform deeper. Surely better for wheelchair users not to have to squeeze past lampposts

Unless there's something I've missed, there's always a minimum stipulation on newer station platforms to have clear openings of >90cm for wheelchairs (e.g. at shelters). I think any wheelchairs at Cardiff Bay will have ample room.

 

[MikePJ]

Thanks for that Mike. I did see the trench & pipe.

I do feel TfW are missing a trick on public communication by not having a noticeboard on the hoarding with a "what's going on right now?" update, but I guess PR officers cost money.

 

[AdamWW]

I seem to have become "Core Valley Lines Consultations" guy... but anyway, here's another one with some interesting nuggets buried in it.

...

The most interesting one is a track access contract variation from TfW Rail (see attached documents - note that this closes on 18th Dec). This includes:

- updated outline service patterns intended for introduction in June 2024 - there are tables showing how many trains are intended to run between certain points on the network at different times of the day and week.
- a narrative explanation "Form P" that explains why TfW are doing this and explicitly mentions various plans for changes in June.

I'll summarise these changes below:

- an additional 2 tph from Cardiff Central to Caerphilly
- an additional 2 tph from Cardiff Bay to Pontypridd (the Bay-Queen St shuttle will also remain, but at 2tph, so the Bay will still have a 4tph service)
- the City Line will be served by Aberdare trains (i.e. routed Aberdare-Pontypridd-Radyr-Fairwater-Cardiff Central)

Interesting. Something seems to have changed, since the new timetable shows Aberdare-Pontypridd-Radyr-Fairwater-Cardiff Central-Merthyr and vice versa.

 

[MikePJ]

Interesting. Something seems to have changed, since the new timetable shows Aberdare-Pontypridd-Radyr-Fairwater-Cardiff Central-Merthyr and vice versa.

Yeah - I think this is my mistake from that post. The Form P talks about Aberdare services running via the City line explicitly; it doesn't actually discuss what happens to them when they get to Central because that's out of scope for a document that's purely about the Core Valley lines. Since it didn't mention linking Aberdare services to Merthyr services, I assumed that the Aberdare trains would reverse at Central and go back the way they came. However, the idea of running those services as a loop has been proposed for a long while, so now that it's been announced, on re-reading that the consultation documents it's clear that they didn't rule out that option, but didn't say it would happen either. Oh well.

 

[Avowedsevern]

Not sure if this has been discussed yet: the platforms on the Trehebert line now have rolling security, that is a team of four work 12 hour shifts (two at a time) and spend around an hour per station before moving on to the next. This is expected to remain in place indefinitely.