As part of the work to upgrade the Core Valley Lines in South Wales, a significant expansion of Aberdare station has been authorised by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

A new southbound arrivals platform at Aberdare station will facilitate ‘turn up and go’ services of the South Wales Metro for passengers heading towards Cardiff.

The new platform has level boarding and easy access via steps and a ramp, as well as modern signage and systems.

Authorisation by the Office of Rail and Road is vital to receiving approval for opening new, upgraded, or renewed infrastructure, such as the new platform at Aberdare.

It confirms that standards in areas like health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability and availability have been met.

A number of projects have already been authorised by the Office of Rail and Road as part of the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme and are designed to improve performance and reliability.

They include new overhead line equipment, upgrading signalling, and modifying track layouts.

Authorisation of new and upgraded infrastructure such as at Aberdare station as part of the Office of Rail and Road’s responsibility for infrastructure and rolling stock that are new or have had a major upgrade or renewal.

The regulator has worked with Transport for Wales from the start of the project to support them through the authorisation process by making sure that important checks and surveys were carried out.

“This is a significant upgrade for connectivity in South Wales and we look forward to seeing the station open for passengers.

“We’re pleased to have played our part in getting the station ready to open. Our team worked closely with Transport for Wales to support them through the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country.”

Steve Fletcher, Office of Rail and Road Deputy Director of Engineering and Asset Management