Rail passengers are being warned of three weeks of disruption on the South Wales Valleys lines while a major upgrade for the South Wales Metro is carried out. Transport for Wales (TfW) advised passengers to check before they travel as rail replacement buses will cover affected services.
The work runs from Saturday, July 25, to Saturday, August 15, affecting lines to and from Cardiff including sections of the Rhymney, Coryton, Cardiff Bay, Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr lines. This includes a two-week closure on the Treherbert line and a one-week closure on the Aberdare and Merthyr lines.
Essential upgrades for faster services
TfW said the essential rail upgrades will allow for faster and more frequent services. Work includes relaying track at Pontypridd station, track and drainage improvements on the Treherbert line, and level boarding at Pentrebach station.
Dan Tipper, TfW chief infrastructure officer, 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."
Closure details
From Saturday, July 25, until end of service on Monday, July 27, there will be no rail services on the Rhymney, Coryton, or Cardiff Bay lines or between Radyr and Cardiff Queen Street via Llandaf and Cathays. 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 on Cardiff Bus throughout the day.
From Friday, July 31, until Thursday, August 6, engineering work between Treherbert and Pontypridd means trains will be replaced by buses. From Friday, August 7, until Saturday, August 15, trains between Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr, and Radyr will be replaced by buses. Rail services will continue between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Llandaff and Ninian Park. Replacement buses will run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. A small number of late-night services on Thursday, July 30, and early-morning services on Sunday, August 16, between Pontypridd and Treherbert will also be replaced by buses.
Due to local road restrictions, the main replacement bus service on the Aberdare line will not call at Penrhiwceiber. A dedicated minibus shuttle will operate between Abercynon, Penrhiwceiber, and Mountain Ash. 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 at Llandaf, Taff's Well, Trefforest, and Abercynon. Pontypridd and Pentrebach stations will remain closed during the works.
Tickets and bus services
Passengers must hold a valid ticket before boarding rail replacement buses. Pay as you go ticketing remains available and validators are a short walk from most replacement bus stops. If a validator is unavailable, TfW says customers should buy tickets via the TfW app or website or speak to TfW staff at key locations. Passengers with a pay as you go account who are unable to tap out can complete their journey through the TfW app or website the day after travel by adding a missed tap. The number of tap corrections per month will be temporarily increased from six to 14 during August.
TfW said: "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."
