01 May 2024
From 2 June passengers from across the South Wales Valleys and Cardiff will benefit from more frequent services later into the night as delivery of the south Wales Metro moves another step closer.
New timetables on the Merthyr, Aberdare, Treherbert, Rhymney, City and Coryton lines will provide more regular services improving connectivity between the south Wales valleys and the capital city.
These changes include:
- Increase from 6 to 8 trains per hour between Cardiff and Pontypridd, with all 8 calling at Treforrest Estate
- Increase from 4 to 6 trains per hour between Caerphilly and Cardiff
- Increase from 1 to 2 trains per hour between Rhymney and Cardiff
- More frequent evening services between Cardiff and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr
- A Sunday service on the Cardiff City line for the first time
- A new service from Pontypridd through to Cardiff Bay without the need to change at Queen Street
These changes will signal a new way of travelling for passengers, providing them with more choice and on some routes quicker commutes to and from the city.
For example, from June customers travelling from Aberdare, Llandaf, Cathays or Queen Street will have the option to change trains at Pontypridd or Radyr to reach their destination quicker.
The Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates said: “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.
Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “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.”
Elsewhere on the mainline network there will be some minor changes and all customers should check their journey details from 2 June onwards to ensure they have the latest information.
To find out more about the recent changes, click here.
To find out about other recent improvements around our whole network, click here
Customers can search for future journey details HERE
Notes to editors
Metro Changes
The changes are the next step in the creation of the South Wales Metro, which will eventually see 4 trains per hour from Treherbert, Aberdare, Rhymney and Merthyr to/from Cardiff.
In order to run additional services through Cardiff, Aberdare services will run via the City line into Cardiff Central before looping back via Cardiff Queen Street to Merthyr Tydfil, rather than running through to Bridgend and Barry Island via the Vale of Glamorgan as they do today.
Trains from Merthyr Tydfil will come into Cardiff via Queen Street to Central and will loop back via the City line to Aberdare.
The changes mean Aberdare services gain additional calls at City Line stations including Fairwater and Ninian Park close to the busy employment area of Sloper Road as well as sporting and retail facilities.
For customers from Aberdare wanting quicker journeys to Llandaf, Cathays or Queen Street, there is the option to change at Pontypridd or Radyr.
Trains on the Rhymney line (including Caerphilly and Bargoed) will run through to Penarth, Barry Island and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan line.
Trains from Coryton will now run through Cardiff Central to Penarth, rather than following round to Radyr on the City line.
Recent improvements elsewhere in Wales
This followed the December 2023 timetable change where the line saw an increase to one train every 45 minutes.
This year has also seen the introduction of direct Ebbw Vale to Newport services for the first time in 60 years, the return of hourly rail services between Chester and Liverpool and brand new trains introduced to west Wales, Maesteg and Ebbw Vale.
Our June 2024 timetable will see an increase in services between Cardiff Central and Cheltenham Spa.
