Passengers are being warned to check before they travel this summer
Rail passengers are being warned of three weeks of disruption on the lines while a major upgrade on the South Wales Metro is carried out.
Rail replacement buses will cover affected services but Transport for Wales (TfW) advised passengers to check before they travel.
The work from Saturday, July 25, to Saturday, August 15, will affect the South Wales Valleys lines to and from Cardiff and sections of the Rhymney, Coryton, Cardiff Bay, Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr lines.
It will mean a two-week closure across the Treherbert line and a one-week closure on the Aberdare and Merthyr lines. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
The “essential rail upgrades” will allow work for faster and more frequent services, TfW said.
This will include relaying track at Pontypridd station, track and drainage improvements on the Treherbert line, and level boarding at Pentrebach station.
TfW chief infrastructure officer Dan Tipper said: “These works are another important step in delivering the South Wales Metro and transforming rail travel across south Wales.
“While we know the closures will cause some disruption the improvements we’re making now will help create a more reliable, accessible, and better-connected railway for the future.
“We’d like to thank customers and local communities for their patience while this vital work takes place.
“As rail services will be affected during the planned closures we encourage customers to plan ahead and check the travel arrangements that will be in place for your journey, including any rail replacement bus services, and allow extra time for travel where necessary.”
Details of closures:
- Cardiff Queen Street: Saturday, July 25, until end of service on Monday, July 27
There will be no rail services operating on the Rhymney, Coryton, or Cardiff Bay lines or between Radyr and Cardiff Queen Street via Llandaf and Cathays.
Services on other Valley lines will continue to operate to and from Cardiff via the City Line.
Rail replacement services will operate between Rhymney and Cardiff, and from Radyr to Cardiff, stopping at Llandaf, Cathays, and Cardiff Queen Street. On Saturday and Monday Rhymney buses will run to and from Cardiff Queen Street with Bargoed replacement buses running to and from Cardiff Central.
Early-morning and late-night rail replacement services will run between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay with ticket acceptance in place with Cardiff Bus throughout the day.
- Treherbert line to Pontypridd: Friday, July 31, until Thursday, August 6
During this time engineering work will take place between Treherbert and Pontypridd with trains replaced by buses.
- Treherbert/ Aberdare/ Merthyr to Radyr: Friday, August 7, until Saturday, August 15
Trains between Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr, and Radyr will be replaced by buses. During the closure rail services will continue to operate between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Llandaff and Ninian Park.
During the Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr line closures replacement buses will run every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays.
A small number of late-night services on Thursday, July 30, and some early-morning services on Sunday, August 16, between Pontypridd and Treherbert will be replaced by buses.
Due to local road restrictions the main replacement bus service along the Aberdare line will not call at Penrhiwceiber. To keep passengers moving a dedicated minibus shuttle service will operate between Abercynon, Penrhiwceiber, and Mountain Ash.
To accommodate rail replacement services the car park at Radyr station will be temporarily closed from Monday, August 3. Customers are asked not to park on nearby residential streets and are encouraged to use alternative car parks across the network including Llandaf, Taff’s Well, Trefforest, and Abercynon.
To allow Transport for Wales to complete essential improvements Pontypridd and Pentrebach stations will remain closed during the works.
Tickets and bus rail replacement services
While rail replacement services are in place passengers are being warned they must hold a valid ticket before boarding. Pay as you go ticketing remains available and validators are only a short walk from most replacement bus stops.
If a validator is unavailable TfW says customers should buy their tickets via the TfW app or website or speak directly to TfW staff who will be stationed at key locations across the network to help passengers.
Passengers with a pay as you go account who are unable to tap out, or who forget to do so, can also complete their journey through the TfW app or website the day after they travel by adding in a missed tap.
For passengers using pay as you go the number of tap corrections each user can do per month will be temporarily increased from six to 14 during the month of August.
“As replacement buses may take longer than scheduled train services passengers are strongly encouraged to check the latest travel updates on the TfW app or website and allow extra time for their journeys,” TfW said.
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
