After a year of providing rail-replacement buses, Transport for Wales (TfW) has resumed midweek evening train services between Cardiff and Pontypridd.

For the last year, trains in the evenings from Monday to Thursday between Cardiff and Pontypridd have been replaced by buses so that work can continue to transform the Core Valley Lines.

The Core Valley Lines are part of a billion-pound investment to electrify the line and deliver the South Wales Metro. In order to modernise the rail infrastructure, parts of the railway need to be closed at certain times. However, so that people’s journeys are not unduly affected, rail replacement buses are provided.

Part of the funding to transform the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has come from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. Once the work is complete, it will allow faster and more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys.

Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer at TfW, said: “We’re making good progress with building the South Wales Metro and we’re now in a position where there will be more rail services running in the evenings, and less rail replacement between Cardiff and Pontypridd.

“There is still ongoing work, but on this section of railway we’ve completed our electrification infrastructure works, the wiring is up, our new signalling is installed, and we’ve energised the first section of track.

“More rail services being reintroduced will be a major improvement for customers using the popular route between Cardiff and Pontypridd, and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to our services.

“I’d like to thank all our customers for their continued patience during this time of disruption and it’s important to emphasise that our teams are moving swiftly forward with building the South Wales Metro.”