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South Wales Metro
Transport for Wales, the transport authority
Class 398 at the Metro Depot and Control Centre in Taffs Well.
Overview
Native name	Metro De Cymru
Owner	Network Rail Transport for Wales
Locale	South East Wales
Transit type	Commuter rail, Rapid transit tram-train, Bus, BRT
Number of lines	9
Number of stations	94
Chief executive	James Price
Headquarters	QED Centre Main Avenue Treforest Industrial Estate Pontypridd CF37 5YR
Website	https://tfw.wales/projects/metro/south-wales-metro
Operation
Operation will start	End of 2024
Operator(s)	Transport for Wales Rail
Character	Grade-separated (present) At-grade street running (proposed)
Number of vehicles	36 tram-trains
Technical
System length	105 miles 10 chains (105.13 mi; 169.2 km)
No. of tracks	Double track
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The South Wales Metro (Welsh: Metro De Cymru) is an integrated heavy rail, light rail and bus-based public transport services and systems network currently being developed in South East Wales around the hub of Cardiff Central railway station. The first phase was approved for development in October 2013. Works are currently under way, with a new depot under construction at Taff's Well and new trains being built by Stadler Rail in Switzerland. The development will also include the electrification of the core Valley Lines and new stations. All nine lines will be electrified, and the service is expected to be in operation by the end of 2024.

Background

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The rail-based transport system in South Wales was heavily cut down following the Beeching report. By the 1970s, Wales kept less than half of the track it had in 1914. There were closures of some lines and many sub-branches, mainly serving the ex-mining communities, and their easy links to ports and resorts on the coast. Since 1987, five of the main closures have been reversed: services were reinstated on Cardiff's City Line that year, the Aberdare Line the following year, the Maesteg Line in 1992, the Vale of Glamorgan Line between Barry and Bridgend in 2005, and the Ebbw Vale Line in 2008.

Development

In February 2011, Cardiff Business Partnership (CBP) and the Institute of Welsh Affairs published a report by Professor Mark Barry of Cardiff University, calling for an investment of £2.5 billion over ten years to connect Cardiff, Newport and the South Wales Valleys. The report concluded that with the stated investment in a regional metro system, by 2025 it would be possible to travel from the Heads of the Valleys to Cardiff or Newport in 40 minutes, by combining electrified heavy rail and light rail systems and boosted by faster rail links to London and Heathrow Airport.

After the Welsh Government, supported by parties including a CBP team led by Mark Barry, lobbied at Westminster for the extension of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme west to Swansea, and north into the South Wales Valleys, Barry developed a more detailed blueprint plan for Cardiff. After internal consultation, this was submitted by CBP to the Welsh Government's Business Minister Edwina Hart in December 2012. The scheme proposed a £200 million investment in a Cardiff cross-rail scheme based on trams, between St Mellons in the east via Cardiff Central, south into Cardiff Bay, north to Coryton, converting a number of Valley Lines heavy rail routes to light rail, and a new route north-west via Ely and Radyr Court to the M4 motorway near Creigiau.

From Autumn 2012, Barry led the private sector Metro Consortium, with the common aim of promoting the South Wales Metro project, which included representatives from Capita, Jones Lang LaSalle, The Urbanists and Steer Davies Gleave. They produced a further interim report, "A Cardiff City Region Metro: transform | regenerate | connect" published in February 2013. Hart then commissioned Barry to lead a more detailed analysis of the potential benefits: The Metro Impact Study of October 2013. This more substantive report concluded that an initial £1 billion investment in an integrated metro transport network for South East Wales could, within 30 years, add 420,000 people to the network, create 7,000 new jobs and invest an additional £4 billion into the regional economy.

In October 2013, after Barry had submitted his report to Hart at the end of summer 2013, the Business Minister endorsed the report. She allocated £62 million for phase one of the scheme to improve bus and rail links, including rail infrastructure improvements, station upgrades, park and ride schemes, bus corridors, and walking and cycling schemes. She also set up a working group to examine detailed proposals for the potential subsequent stages of the Cardiff Capital Region Metro system.

In 2024, Barry documented his recollections of the advocacy and development of the Cardiff Capital Region (or South Wales) Metro from 2010-2024, in his book, "How to build a Metro"

Implementation

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones formally launched the South Wales Metro in November 2015, with the Welsh Government setting out its aspirations for the Metro in its November 2015 publication, "Rolling Out Our Metro".

Procurement for the Metro began in July 2016, as part of the procurement process for the next Wales & Borders franchise. This was managed by Transport for Wales. This concluded in May 2018, with the awarding of the franchise to KeolisAmey Wales, trading as Transport for Wales Rail Services, from 14 October 2018.

Details of the £5 billion investment were announced in June 2018. All of Wales' rail services were to be run over 15 years by two European companies jointly.

In October 2018, £119 million of funding was obtained from the European Union to support the modernisation plans. In January 2019, a new report had proposed several new schemes such as a rail link to Abertillery.

In August 2019, it was announced that work on the project would be delayed due to "unresolved issues", particularly around maintenance cost estimates, which are preventing sale of the freehold land, buildings, and operational assets, by current owner Network Rail to the Welsh Ministers. The deal would require approval from the Office of Rail & Road before contractor KeolisAmey Wales could undertake work including electrification and other improvements. The project faced a deadline of 2022 for some work, as the work would need to meet the deadline for the £159 million in awarded European Regional Development funding, which will not be available after that date due to Brexit.

It was announced that work on the project would start on 3 August 2020, beginning with track improvements on lines to Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert. These lines would operate as a rail replacement service between 8 pm and 5 am until December 2020, except on Fridays and Saturdays. The phase two works were scheduled to be completed by 2023.

Total cost of South Wales metro part 1 has been cited by the Welsh government as £88.5 million in a brochure on the development.

The total cost of South Wales Metro part 2 is estimated to be £738 million; this includes "electrification of the CVL; double tracking of selected route sections; a direct connection from the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil lines to Cardiff Bay; and a new train stabling facility at Taff’s Well". In addition, £800 million will be invested in rolling stock, bring the phase two total to £1.54 billion.

New fleet

The fleet operating the South Wales Metro will consist of Stadler Rail's FLIRT and Citylink families. Class 231 bi-mode trainsets and Class 756 tri-mode trainsets will operate on conventional railways, while Class 398 battery-electric tram-trains will operate on both on-street tracks and conventional railways.

By 2021, TfW had taken delivery of two Class 231s. The remaining trainsets were planned to be delivered by 2023.

Proposed network

Existing rail network

v t e Ebbw Valley Line
Legend
Proposed route
BRT to Merthyr Tydfil BRT to Abergavenny Ebbw Vale Town Ebbw Vale Parkway Abertillery Llanhilleth BRT to Pontypool Crumlin Newbridge BRT to Blackwood Crosskeys Risca and Pontymister Rogerstone to Caerphilly Pye Corner Tredegar Park (potential) Newport Cardiff Central South Wales Main Line to Swansea│to Bristol

v t e Newport–Nelson Line
Legend
Proposed route
Treharris BRT to Pontypridd Nelson BRT│Metro BRT to Blackwood Ystrad Mynach Llanbradach Energlyn Aber Caerphilly to Cardiff Lansbury Park Waterloo/Trethomas Machen Bassaleg to Ebbw Vale Pye Corner Tredegar Park (potential) South Wales Main Line to Cardiff Newport South Wales Main Line to Bristol Parkway

v t e Heads of the Valleys BRT
Legend
Proposed route
Abergavenny Marches line to Hereford & Newport Brynmawr Ebbw Vale Town Ebbw Valley Rly to Newport Bryn Serth Tredegar Rhymney Rhymney line to Cardiff Pen y Darren Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr line to Cardiff Aberdare Merthyr line to Cardiff & Hirwaun

• South Wales Main Line from Severn Tunnel Junction west to Newport, Cardiff Central and Bridgend
• Cardiff Central:
  • Valley Lines:
    • Northwest to Coryton
    • North to Pontypridd:
      • Onwards to Treherbert
      • Onwards to Hirwaun
      • Onwards to Merthyr Tydfil
      • Onwards to Aberdare
  • West via Maesteg Line to Maesteg
  • South via Vale of Glamorgan Line to:
    • Penarth
    • Barry Island
    • Bridgend via Rhoose and Llantwit Major
  • East via Ebbw Vale Line to Ebbw Vale Town
  • North-east via Welsh Marches Line to Abergavenny
• Cardiff Queen Street:
  • South via Cardiff Bay branch to Cardiff Bay

Current proposals

• Cardiff Bay:
  • On-street extension to a relocated Cardiff Bay station
  • New intermediate station at Butetown
• Newport:
  • North via Ebbw Vale Line to Ebbw Vale Town
• Valley Lines:
  • New station at Crwys Road
  • New station at Gabalfa
  • Relocated Treforest Estate station
• South Wales Main Line
  • New station at Cardiff East
  • New station at Cardiff Parkway (private proposal)
  • New station at Newport West
  • New station at Somerton
  • New station at Llanwern
  • New station at Magor & Undy

Former proposals

These routes were planned to be developed as high-speed bus routes or light rail/tram-based services – however, they are not currently part of the Metro plans:

• Cardiff Central:
  • South to:
    • Culverhouse Cross
    • Porth Teigr
• Cardiff:
  • Cross-route east/west from Coryton to Heath, Cardiff Gate, and then south to a new station at St Mellons
• Beddau: connecting:
  • North-east to Pontypridd
  • South-east to Cardiff Central
  • South-west via Llantrisant, Miskin/Pontyclun to Bridgend
• Llantrisant, connecting:
  • North via Porth to Maerdy
• Pontypridd: connecting:
  • North-east via Ystrad Mynach, Pontllanfraith, Newbridge to Pontypool
• Pontllanfraith: new hub, connecting:
  • North to Tredegar
• Hirwaun:
  • Cross-valley route via Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney, Tredegar to Ebbw Vale
• Newport:
  • North via Ebbw Vale Line to Abertillery
  • West via the former Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway to Treharris, via Pye Corner, Machen, Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach and Nelson.

See also

• Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro
• North Wales Metro
• Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes
• Cardiff Capital Region

References

1. Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes
2. ^ "What is the South Wales Metro and when will it be done?". BBC. 31 May 2024.
3. Davies, John (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. RAILWAYS. ISBN 9780708319536. Retrieved 25 August 2023 – via Credo Reference. Financial losses led to the Beeching Report of 1963, which was followed by the closure of many lines and stations. Indeed, by the 1970s, Wales had only 1381 km of railway track compared with 3500 km in 1914.
4. ^ Barry, Mark. "A Metro for Wales' Capital City Region: Connecting Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys" (PDF). Institute of Welsh Affairs. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
5. "South east Wales 'needs £2.5bn metro rail network'". BBC Wales. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
6. ^ "Cardiff 'crossrail' proposals by business lobby". BBC Wales. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
7. Welsh Government 2013,"Metro Impact Study https://www.gov.wales/south-wales-metro-impact-study /
8. Kelsey, Chris (22 October 2013). "Edwina Hart gives backing to Cardiff Capital Region Metro system". South Wales Echo. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
9. Kelsey, Chris (22 October 2013). "Edwina Hart gives backing to Cardiff Capital Region Metro system". South Wales Echo. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
10. "Plans show the potential of metro network". ITV Wales. 11 October 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
11. Barry, 2024, "How to build a Metro" One view of the collective effort behind the advocacy and development of the Cardiff Capital Region Metro (or South Wales Metro) https://cardiffmetro.wales/
12. http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/160224-metro-information-brochure-en.pdf
13. "South Wales Metro consultation to begin". Railway Gazette International. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
14. "New £5bn contract to run Wales' trains". BBC News. 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
15. "Wales' rail and Metro franchise to be run by KeolisAmey". BBC News. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
16. "Funding secured for South West Metro project". Railway Gazette International. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
17. "Cardiff Capital Region City Deal: Appraisal Of Metro Plus RTA Programme, Final Report" (PDF). January 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
18. ^ "Network Rail launches sale of Cardiff Valley Lines | Railnews". www.railnews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
19. ^ "Evening rail disruption as Metro works begin". BBC News. 10 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
20. "Metro Rolling out our metro" (PDF).
21. on behalf of Transport for Wales, Stantec. "Evaluation of South Wales Metro Phase 2" (PDF).
22. "Our new trains | Transport for Wales". Transport for Wales. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
23. "FLIRTs have been delivered to Transport for Wales". RailAdvent. 5 December 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
24. "South Wales Metro ECI contracts awarded". Retrieved 16 July 2019. Archived 17 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Media related to South Wales Metro at Wikimedia Commons
• South Wales Metro webpage
• How to build a Metro webpage

v t e South Wales Metro
Organisations	South Wales Metro Transport for Wales Transport for Wales Rail Welsh Government
Main lines	Gloucester–Newport line South Wales Main Line Welsh Marches line
Metro lines	Butetown    Cardiff City    Coryton    Ebbw Valley    Maesteg    Merthyr    Rhondda    Rhymney    Vale of Glamorgan
Major rail stations	Barry Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Bay Central Queen Street Cathays List of railway stations in Cardiff Newport Pontypridd Treforest
Bus interchanges	Blackwood Bargoed Cardiff New (2024) 1954–2015 Cwmbran Ebbw Vale Merthyr Tydfil Newport
Bus operators	Bus transport in Cardiff Adventure Travel Cardiff Bus First Cymru Newport Bus Stagecoach South Wales
Proposed stations	Butetown Caerleon Cardiff Parkway Crwys Road Gabalfa Magor & Undy Newport West Newport West Central Somerton Llanwern Treforest Estate (relocated)
Active travel	Bute Park Celtic Trail cycle route Cistercian Way Cycling in Cardiff Pontcanna Fields & Llandaff Fields National Cycle Network NCR 88 NCR 4 NCR 46 NCR 47 Roald Dahl Plass Sophia Gardens Taff Trail Usk Valley Walk Wales Coast Path
Buses portal Trains portal Transport portal Wales portal

v t e Transport in Cardiff
Motorways and A roads	M4 motorway European route E30 A48(M) motorway A48 road A470 road A469 road A4054 road A4119 road A4160 road A4161 road A4232 road
Pedestrian precincts and commercial streets	Bute Street Caroline Street Cathedral Road City Road Cowbridge Road East Cowbridge Road West St Mary Street & High Street Lloyd George Avenue Newport Road West Grove Womanby Street
Bus	Bus transport in Cardiff Trolleybuses Cardiff Bus Baycar Capital City Green Capital City Red Free b Iff card Cardiff Central bus station (demolished) Cardiff Bus Interchange Fflecsi First Cymru Adventure Travel Stagecoach South Wales
Cycling	Cycling in Cardiff Taff Trail Lôn Las Cymru Ely Valley Trail NCR 88 Pont y Werin
Railway lines	Rail transport in Cardiff South Wales Main Line Valley lines ■ Butetown branch ■ City Line ■ Coryton Line ■ Maesteg Line ■ Merthyr line ■ Rhondda line ■ Rhymney line ■ Vale of Glamorgan Line
Railway operators	CrossCountry Great Western Railway Transport for Wales
Major railway stations	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen Street
Other city railway stations	Birchgrove Cardiff Bay Cathays Coryton Danescourt Fairwater Grangetown Heath High Level Heath Low Level Lisvane & Thornhill Llandaf Llanishen Ninian Park Radyr Rhiwbina Ty Glas Waun-gron Park Whitchurch List of railway stations in Cardiff
Air	Cardiff Airport Cardiff Heliport
Water	Cardiff Bay Barrage Cardiff Waterbus River Taff River Ely Tiger Bay
Proposed transport network	South Wales Metro Proposed South Wales Metro stations in Cardiff Butetown Cardiff Parkway Crwys Road Gabalfa

v t e Railway stations in Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys
Valley lines	Butetown    Cardiff City    Coryton    Ebbw Valley    Maesteg    Merthyr    Rhondda    Rhymney    Vale of Glamorgan
Other lines	South Wales Main Line Gloucester–Newport line Welsh Marches line South Wales Metro
Major stations	Cardiff Central Cardiff Queen Street Newport Bridgend
Cardiff stations	Rail transport in Cardiff Birchgrove Cardiff Bay Cathays Coryton Danescourt Fairwater Grangetown Heath High Level Heath Low Level Lisvane & Thornhill Llandaf Llanishen Ninian Park Radyr Rhiwbina Ty Glas Waun-gron Park Whitchurch
Newport stations	Newport Pye Corner Rogerstone
Valley Lines stations	Aber Abercynon Aberdare Bargoed Barry Barry Docks Barry Island Brithdir Cadoxton Caerphilly Cogan Crosskeys Cwmbach Dinas Powys Dinas Rhondda Dingle Road Eastbrook Ebbw Vale Parkway Ebbw Vale Town Energlyn & Churchill Park Fernhill Garth Gilfach Fargoed Hengoed Llanbradach Llanharan Llanhilleth Llantwit Major Llwynypia Maesteg Maesteg (Ewenny Road) Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Vale Mountain Ash Newbridge Penarth Pencoed Pengam Penrhiwceiber Pentre-bach Pontlottyn Pontyclun Pontypridd Porth Quakers Yard Rhoose Cardiff International Airport Rhymney Risca & Pontymister Sarn Taffs Well Tir-Phil Tondu Ton Pentre Tonypandy Treforest Treforest Estate Trehafod Treherbert Treorchy Troed-y-rhiw Wildmill Ynyswen Ystrad Mynach Ystrad Rhondda
Other stations	Abergavenny Caldicot Chepstow Cwmbran Pontypool & New Inn Severn Tunnel Junction
Proposed stations	Aberbeeg Abertillery Cardiff Parkway Caerleon Crumlin Low Level Cwm Hirwaun Llanwern Newport West St Fagans
Transport in Bridgend County Borough Transport in Caerphilly County Borough Transport in Cardiff Transport in Newport Transport in Rhondda Cynon Taf Transport in the Vale of Glamorgan UK railway stations: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Trains portal Wales portal

v t e UK light rail systems
Tramways	Current Blackpool Tramway Edinburgh Trams London Trams Manchester Metrolink Nottingham Express Transit South Yorkshire Supertram West Midlands Metro Proposed Coventry Very Light Rail South Wales Metro Sutton Link West Yorkshire Wirral Street Car Cancelled Abbey Line Bristol Supertram CITI Belfast Cross River Tram Leeds Supertram Merseytram Penistone Line Tram-Train West London Tram
Metro	Current Docklands Light Railway Glasgow Subway Tyne and Wear Metro Proposed North and West London Light Railway West London Orbital
People mover	Birmingham Air-Rail Link Gatwick Airport Shuttle Transit Heathrow Terminal 5 Transit Stansted Airport Transit System Luton DART
Preserved	Beamish Museum Black Country Living Museum East Anglia Transport Museum Great Orme Tramway Heaton Park Tramway National Tramway Museum Seaton Tramway Summerlee Museum Telford steam tram Wirral Transport Museum Wirral Tramway

v t e Local rail transport in the United Kingdom
Metros	Docklands Light Railway (London) Glasgow Subway London Underground Night Tube Tyne and Wear Metro
Tramways	Blackpool Edinburgh Greater Manchester Nottingham South Yorkshire South London West Midlands
Mainline railways	Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Leeds and Bradford Liverpool London London Overground Elizabeth line Manchester

• Railway lines in Wales
• Tram transport in Wales
• Bus transport in Wales
• Transport in Cardiff
• Transport in Newport, Wales
• Bridgend
• Transport in Rhondda Cynon Taf