From Sunday, 2 June Transport for Wales will be running more frequent and later train services throughout the South Wales Valleys and Cardiff.
The improved services are a result of the forthcoming introduction of the South Wales Metro.
Services on the lines to Merthyr, Aberdare, Treherbert, Rhymney, City and Coryton will become regular to improve connectivity between those areas and Cardiff.
Changes to the timetable from 2 June include:
- Between Cardiff and Pontypridd – services increased from six to eight trains per hour, with all trains stopping at Treforrest Estate.
- Between Caerphilly and Cardiff – services increased from four to six trains per hour.
- Between Rhymney and Cardiff – services increased from one to two trains per hour.
- Between Cardiff and Treherbert, Aberdare, and Merthyr – more frequent evening services.
- Cardiff City line – introduction of a Sunday service for the first time.
- Pontypridd to Cardiff Bay – introduction of a new through service without needing to change at Queen Street.
The timetable changes will herald a new way of travelling that will come with the full introduction of the South Wales Metro, giving passengers more choice and quicker commutes on some routes to and from the city.
There will also be new options for passengers to reach their destination quicker, with customers travelling from Aberdare, Llandaf, Cathays, or Queen Street have the choice of changing trains at Pontypridd or Radyr for a shorter overall journey time.
On the Transport for Wales mainline network, some minor amendments are being made to services with the new timetable from 2 June. More details about the changes can be found by clicking here, or you can search for journey details at https://tfw.wales/plan-a-journey.
This is an important step on the journey to deliver the South Wales Metro.
The new timetable will mean more frequent journeys for passengers – improving connectivity, connecting people and creating opportunity.
These timetable improvements are another step towards delivering the South Wales Metro which will eventually see four trains per hour from Treherbert, Aberdare, Rhymney and Merthyr to/from Cardiff.
Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
This change will deliver a host of benefits to customers across our Core Valley Routes.
We’re making the change now so people can get some of those benefits early before we start introducing electric trains on these routes with an even more frequent service and faster journey times.
The key message is to check before you travel if you use our valley line services.
Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales
Responses
Yes it all seems to stop at Cardiff .
Yes well then, what about the longer routes to feed into the rest of the nation? For example, The Heart of Wales mainline, the Cambrian Main Line, The Cambrian Coast Line and the North and South Main Lines ????
And what’s on offer for Mid Wales?
Well apart from a reduced service?
Everyone seems to keep forgetting that Wales is bigger than Cardiff and its environs.
Well said Brian. We all know the pie in the sky “electric cation of the North Wales route will never happen. That money alone will need spending on the Crewe-Chester part getting under Chrsistleton. Expect to be fobbed off at some point because Cardiff is no different to London in not giving a damn about it’s other end. North Wales and Northern England get treated exactly the same by their respective govts.
Sounds great news for South Wales. Have you forgotten about us in North Wales or do you just not care about us Gogs? I believe it was about 5 or 6 years ago you promised us a North Wales Metro/Hubs with an hourly service from our coast to Liverpool via the re-opened Halton Curve route (Fraudsham!/Runcorn)alternating with a service from Wrexham/Shrewsbury making it 1/2 hourly at Chester.
Get your Skates on Ken.