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Home Construction South Wales Metro work set to continue in Merthyr Tydfil

South Wales Metro work set to continue in Merthyr Tydfil

Work will be undertaken between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd as Transport for Wales (TfW) continues with its plans for the South Wales Metro.

To allow engineering work to take place, the railway line between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd will be closed between Saturday 23 October and Wednesday 27 October. This will help pave the way for new electric tram-trains.

Replacement bus services, TfW says, will be in operation between Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd.

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The closure will allow engineers to carry out complex work including repositioning signals, installing and testing new equipment, devegetation, realigning the track, and installing the overhead line equipment system.

A large collection of people, plant and machinery has meant the railway closure is unavoidable. The scale of the preparation to be achieved in the five-day time window means work will be carried out 24 hours a day.

When installed, the overhead lines will power the new tram-trains, which will reduce journey times between Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff city centre and allow TfW to increase the frequency of services to four every hour.

The three-quarters of a billion-pound transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, and will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys, including Merthyr Tydfil.

TfW’s rail infrastructure director, Karl Gilmore, said: “We have a significant amount of work to carry out to create the South Wales Metro. This includes the biggest upgrade to the ageing Core Valley Lines infrastructure to this scale since it was first built, so that we can deliver the faster, more frequent and greener services the people of the South Wales valleys deserve.

“While work is taking place, we’ll do everything we can to work responsibly by ensuring our sites are well managed and our people are considerate to our neighbours.”

It is hoped the investment in the Metro will significantly improve connectivity providing access to jobs, leisure and other opportunities for the people of Wales, through unifying rail, bus and active travel routes.

Travel updates and more information about the South Wales Metro is available on the Transport for Wales website, including a blog article answering some frequently asked questions about the Metro transformation work.

Photo credit: Transport for Wales

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