The South Wales Metro project has reached another landmark moment with the electrification of the Upper Rhymney railway line, paving the way for faster, greener, and more reliable services across the region.
Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, highlighted the significance of this achievement “I am delighted that our investment of more than £1bn to deliver a metro system fit for the future has reached another significant milestone.
Electrification of our core valleys lines is helping to create better access to jobs, healthcare, and education with brand new trains offering a faster, more reliable, greener and more accessible transport system.”
The Welsh Government sees this as a transformative step for communities in the valleys. Julie James, Counsel General and Minister for Delivery, shared her perspective during a visit to the Rhymney line:
“This is a game changer for many valleys communities, improving connectivity and making it easier for people to get to where they need to go quicker and without any hassle.”
For Transport for Wales, the milestone represents tangible progress in delivering the South Wales Metro vision. Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer, explained:
“The electrification of the Upper Rhymney railway line signifies another major milestone for the South Wales Metro and delivering real change for the people of South Wales. It means that we’ll be able to introduce our Class 756 tri-mode trains on services between Caerphilly and Rhymney from 2026.
Our infrastructure teams have worked intensively for the past eight months installing 903 steel structures, supporting 33km of overhead wires and laying 30km of high-voltage cable. This is a huge achievement for our teams, who have worked throughout the day and night to deliver these improvements.
We’ve already introduced the first electric trains to the region and will continue next year, with the introduction of our Class 398 tram-trains.”
The electrification works are a cornerstone of the Metro programme, which aims to transform rail travel across South Wales by improving journey times, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing accessibility for passengers.
Image and Video credit: Transport for Wales
