With 99% of the South Wales Metro network now electrified, it is hoped long queues after major events in Cardiff will become a thing of the past.
Tri-mode trains, which can switch between electric, battery and diesel engines, have now been introduced on the Rhymney Valley line, with the Cardiff Bay section becoming the last to be electrified in early 2026.
Transport for Wales (TfW) said the new trains would increase capacity and reduce waiting times in Cardiff Central, where tens of thousands of people queue after rugby internationals or major concerts from acts such as Oasis and Taylor Swift.
Commuters are hoping years of disruption to electrification work are coming to an end, with one woman telling how she quit her job because it took her 2.5 hours to get from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff.
“The new trains significantly increase capacity compared to what we had before, meaning we can carry more people more often,” TfW director of infrastructure Dan Tipper said.
“So if we have events in Cardiff for example, we will have a lot more people.
“This way we can move this mass of passengers out of the center faster. This should also improve queues at Cardiff Central.”
The £1 billion project saw electric trains run for the first time in the South Wales valleys last year, and all-electric tram trains will provide more frequent services and increased capacity.
Tfw said there should be 12 trains an hour passing through Pontypridd on the Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Treherbert lines in 2026.
Dan Tipper hopes new trains will help manage crowds after major events in Cardiff. [BBC]
Passenger numbers on Valley Lines are still lower than in pre-Covid years.
While people working from home played their part, Karen Jones from Merthyr Tydfil quit her job in Cardiff due to disruption caused by electrification work.
“Going 25 miles down the road sometimes took two and a half hours,” she said.
“I couldn’t get to work on time, so I quit my job. They are much better, but they should be much faster for the money they spend. The situation has improved, but it’s not where it should be.”
Rhys Lewis, from Rhymney, Caerphilly, called it a “nightmare” with early morning trains cancelled, leaving him late for work in Cardiff for a 9.30am meeting.
“My biggest complaint is the night trains, which end around 10:30 p.m., meaning we have to take Uber or taxi home, which is incredibly expensive,” he added.
But Alex Bailey, from Rhonda Valley, believes the line he uses has already improved significantly.
“The new trains represent a significant improvement over the old ones. (The investment) requires a lot of money, but it actually seems a lot better,” he said.
“They seem to be happening much more frequently and more reliably. It's a big investment, but I think it's worth it.”
Karen Jones, from Merthyr Tydfil, was forced to quit her job in Cardiff due to problems with her commute. [BBC]
Transport journalist Rhodri Clarke says Wales is on the right track but is disappointed that tri-mode diesel trains are needed.
“There are still many cities and urban areas in the UK that have few or no electric trains,” he said.
“For example, Bristol, which is much larger than Cardiff, does not have electric trains.
“These things are a bit of a double-edged sword because while it's nice to see this technology, diesel equipment, the extra weight of diesel that we carry around on these trains would be completely unnecessary if we had a smarter approach to electrification in the UK and had all these lines electrified at the same time.”
With the lines fully electrified, it is hoped that after the big events in Cardiff, people will be able to get on trains and head home sooner. [Getty Images]
Spending on rail infrastructure is a political issue in Wales, with Plaid Cymru in particular claiming Wales is short by as much as £4 billion since HS2 was designated as an England and Wales project.
In June, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the Treasury would commit £300 million to build five new stations around Cardiff and Newport between 2026 and 2030, as well as a range of improvement works, including measures to increase capacity in north Wales.
A further £48 million will be spent on South Wales Metro.
The Welsh Government has said it is pushing for further electrification of lines around Wales.
But they don't think handing over sections of lines like the Great Western that run from stations like Swansea and Cardiff in England to Paddington in London is the solution.
“I'm not sure we want it transferred,” Delivery Minister Julie James said.
“What we really want is to get the funding formulas right and the way it's structured so we have a strong Welsh voice in what's done in Wales and we actually have a very good working relationship with the UK government about which train stations will be invested in.
“I’m not a separatist politician at all. I want to work within UK infrastructure. It's very important to me that the Great Western Railway line runs smoothly into London, you know I don't want it to just go to the border.”
“If you were to devolve the entire railway infrastructure to Wales, you would want to be really sure that all the money you need for it would be received, I would be very concerned whether it would happen as a one-off event.”
Once the tri-mode trains are operational on the Rhymney Valley line, new trains will be introduced on the Ebbw Vale, Cheltenham and Maesteg routes.
