
Transformation Work Continues on Rhymney Valley Railway Line
The second six-week railway line closure will start on Saturday 19 July, with no rail services running between Caerphilly and Rhymney until 31 August.
Since construction on the upper Rhymney line began in March 2025, teams have upgraded over 15 kilometres of railway track.
In June the last of the 693 planned foundations from Caerphilly to Rhymney was completed. These foundations will support the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) that will power the new electric trains. To date, 466 steel posts have been installed to hold the overhead wires in place, which is approximately 55% of the total number of posts that will be installed along the line.
The previous six-week closure of the upper Rhymney line, which took place in April, allowed teams to work more efficiently, TfW said, with more access to the railway line to carry out these essential upgrades.
In late 2024, teams began ground investigations on the Rhymney line. Initially, they faced a refusal rate of 50% for the remaining 333 foundations, meaning that half of the foundations could not be completed in one go. This would have led to costly return visits and more disruptions for residents, TfW said.
However, increased access to the line during railway closures allowed teams to conduct foundation probing. This process checks the level of bedrock, which helps teams change their approach or design for the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) system. Adjusting piling methods to suit the bedrock conditions has resulted in the refusal rate dropping from 50% to just 0.3%, with only 10 refusals out of the 333 foundations.
The extended closures on the line have also allowed most of the noisy piling work to take place during the daytime.
To allow teams to progress with their work to install OLE and electrify the Upper Rhymney line, the line between Caerphilly and Rhymney will close from Saturday 19 July to Sunday 31 August. Rail replacement services will be in operation, and the line will re-open to accommodate the Catfish And The Bottlemen concert in the Principality Stadium on Friday 01 August.
TfW said it encouraged all passengers traveling on the Rhymney line to check before they travel.
More information on Rhymney line closures, rail replacement services and where to find local bus stops can be found on TfW's website: Rhymney line transformation | Transport for Wales

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business News Wales
15-07-2025
- Business News Wales
Transformation Work Continues on Rhymney Valley Railway Line
Transport for Wales (TfW) says it has made significant progress on its intensive eight-month programme to transform and electrify the Rhymney Valley railway line. The second six-week railway line closure will start on Saturday 19 July, with no rail services running between Caerphilly and Rhymney until 31 August. Since construction on the upper Rhymney line began in March 2025, teams have upgraded over 15 kilometres of railway track. In June the last of the 693 planned foundations from Caerphilly to Rhymney was completed. These foundations will support the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) that will power the new electric trains. To date, 466 steel posts have been installed to hold the overhead wires in place, which is approximately 55% of the total number of posts that will be installed along the line. The previous six-week closure of the upper Rhymney line, which took place in April, allowed teams to work more efficiently, TfW said, with more access to the railway line to carry out these essential upgrades. In late 2024, teams began ground investigations on the Rhymney line. Initially, they faced a refusal rate of 50% for the remaining 333 foundations, meaning that half of the foundations could not be completed in one go. This would have led to costly return visits and more disruptions for residents, TfW said. However, increased access to the line during railway closures allowed teams to conduct foundation probing. This process checks the level of bedrock, which helps teams change their approach or design for the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) system. Adjusting piling methods to suit the bedrock conditions has resulted in the refusal rate dropping from 50% to just 0.3%, with only 10 refusals out of the 333 foundations. The extended closures on the line have also allowed most of the noisy piling work to take place during the daytime. To allow teams to progress with their work to install OLE and electrify the Upper Rhymney line, the line between Caerphilly and Rhymney will close from Saturday 19 July to Sunday 31 August. Rail replacement services will be in operation, and the line will re-open to accommodate the Catfish And The Bottlemen concert in the Principality Stadium on Friday 01 August. TfW said it encouraged all passengers traveling on the Rhymney line to check before they travel. More information on Rhymney line closures, rail replacement services and where to find local bus stops can be found on TfW's website: Rhymney line transformation | Transport for Wales


North Wales Live
25-06-2025
- North Wales Live
Live updates as North Wales main line blocked after vehicle hits bridge
A vehicle has struck a bridge in Conwy, sparking rail disruption. A Transport for Wales statement said: "Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge at Conwy all lines are blocked. "Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 13:00 25/06." This is a breaking news story. We will bring you all the latest as we get it via the live blog below. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. If you have some information you can contact us by following our Twitter feed @northwaleslive - the official North Wales Live account - real news in real time. Or like - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the North Wales Live. Don't forget you can also keep up to date with the latest via the free North Wales Live app. Download it for Apple devices here and Android devices here. North Wales Live has launched a WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone 11:31 Steve Bagnall A Transport for Wales spokesperson said: A Transport for Wales spokesperson said: "Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge at Conwy all lines are blocked. "Train services may be delayed or cancelled, with disruption expected until 13:00. "A bus replacement service is operating between Holyhead and Llandudno Junction in both directions (provided by Carmel Travel and Llew Jones) to assist customers to complete journeys where possible at no extra cost. "Road Transport will take longer than rail services. Please allow extra time to complete your journey. "For further information visit - " 11:13 Steve Bagnall We have asked the emergency services and Transport for Wales for more information and will let you know when they get back. 11:03 Steve Bagnall Transport for Wales says replacement bus sevices have been out in place: We have been made aware of a problem at Conwy. For safety, train services are unable to run through the area. We have organised buses to run between Holyhead and Llandudno Junction to assist customers to complete journeys where possible at no extra cost. These will be provided by Carmel for Llandudno Junction to Holyhead will be provided by Llew Jones. Road Transport will take longer than rail services. Please allow extra time to complete your journey. 10:58 KEY EVENT A vehicle has struck a bridge in Conwy, causing rail disruption. A transport for Wales statement said: Cancellations to services at Conwy Due to a road vehicle colliding with a bridge at Conwy all lines are blocked. Impact Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 13:00 25/06 10:56 Steve Bagnall Good morning. I'll be bringing you live updates on this incident. Steve Bagnall.


Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Telegraph
Wales is about to get its own metro network – here's what it means for visitors
It has been dubbed the 'Welsh Tube'. It hopes to transform car-free travel around South Wales. And it comes with a colour-coded map reminiscent of the London Underground. But the South Wales Metro, the new £1 billion transport system from rail operator Transport for Wales (TfW), is less 'Mind the Gap', more 'What's occurrin'?'. The Metro promises 105 miles of largely overground travel, linking the Welsh capital with major visitor attractions at Caerphilly and Barry Island, amongst others. Think greener, quieter trains on six electrified lines, new stations, better access and a contactless payment system – much like London's Oyster Card. But don't expect it tomorrow. The project aims for completion in 2026, forming part of a wider transport plan around Cardiff. Works are ongoing, and the line that runs to Rhymney, north of Cardiff, for example, will be subject to dreaded rail replacement services throughout this summer. 'We're working through the transformation of the Valleys Lines with some 70 per cent of lines now electrified and new trains rolling out,' says Kelsey Barcenilla, stakeholder manager for TfW. 'In the short term, passengers can expect a better experience, more frequent services and ticketing improvements, plus a new bus interchange near to Cardiff Central station. Longer term, the South Wales Metro will entice more passengers away from their cars, given the improved infrastructure.' It's good news for visitors confused by Wales' controversial 20mph speed limit. While still enforced on roughly one-third of roads, some local councils have reversed the limit back to 30mph. Despite criticism, the speed limit has been credited by the Welsh Assembly Government for a decrease in the number of casualties from road collisions. But letting the train take the strain, and changing lines easily, is now more viable with increased weekday, evening and Sunday services between Cardiff and the heads of each valley (Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Treherbert). The project also takes a step towards facilitating the Cardiff Crossrail, the on-street tram service, linking Cardiff Central with Cardiff Bay. It hopes to be operational when the city acts as a host city for the 2028 European Football Championship. The rollout of the South Wales Metro has not been universally welcomed, however. The focus is on South Wales with little obvious benefit to other regions. Celebrations are underway to mark the centenary of the birth of the Valleys-born actor Richard Burton, but while Port Talbot is on the rail network, the village of Pontrhydyfen, where he was born, requires car access. To head to Wrexham, where the Hollywood-backed football team just secured a historic third promotion to play in the Championship next season, visitors would currently need to catch a train to Shrewsbury – across the English border – and change to a Chester train via Wrexham General. Transport links will be explored as the former industrial city in North East Wales bids to be the UK City of Culture 2029. Concerns over links between South and North Wales are further compounded by the prospect of a £1.25 per night tourism levy to be introduced across Wales from 2027 if the legislation clears the Welsh Parliament. 'It may be good for tourists visiting Cardiff and the valleys but no, there's no benefit beyond Merthyr, or towards Pembrokeshire,' says Sean Westlake, chair of Wales Official Tourist Guides Association (WOTGA). 'There are links across Wales with the two trunk roads through Mid Wales and TrawsCymru buses, but the journey times are long.' 'What Wales really needs, sustainable transport-wise,' he adds, 'is a more integrated system of train and bus between south and north.' For people travelling around South Wales, however, there is car-free industrial heritage, ancient castles, and kiss-me-quick fun to be had, plus a wider move towards smoother, greener travel. 'I'm excited for the link from Rhymney to Barry via Cardiff,' says Kelsey at TfW. 'I'll be heading to Barrybados with the family for seaside days out.' And that, as Nessa would say, is 'tidy'. It may not be open just yet, but it's never too early to dream up the excellent Welsh minibreaks the new trains will make possible. Just pick your favourite destinations, and mark your calendar. Route one Cardiff Bay to Caerphilly on the Cardiff Bay and Penarth Lines Start your day in Cardiff Bay, taking in sites such as the Wales Millennium Centre, a must for Doctor Who fans, the Senedd parliament building and the hidden gem Norwegian Church, the old seaman's chapel turned arts centre. Then jump on the train for the hour-long journey to Caerphilly, home to the largest castle in Wales – and a crumbly, white cheese. The castle saw action battling Welsh princes and English Civil War skirmishes before the Marquess of Bute restored it in the 1920s. It's a short walk from the station with glorious grounds for sunny-day mooching. Route two Cardiff Queen Street to Merthyr Tydfil on the Cardiff Bay and Merthyr Lines From Queen Street, it's one hour to Merthyr, the line running via Llandaff in Cardiff's leafy northwest suburbs. Jump off for a stroll around the village, where the writer Roald Dahl attended school in the 1920s in the shadow of the towering Gothic cathedral. A blue plaque outside the former High Street sweetshop recounts the story of the Great Mouse Plot, his boyhood prank to leave a dead mouse in a jar of Gobstoppers. Back on the train, it's a story of industrial heritage with Merthyr once the world's largest iron-producing town. Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Gallery tells the story of the town's radical past, while the 160-acre parkland has a model railway and family activities. Route three Cardiff Central to Barry Island on the Vale of Glamorgan Line After breakfast in Cardiff, exploring the cafes of the Victorian arcades, or a stroll in Bute Park, make a day-trip pilgrimage in the footsteps of Gavin and Stacey. It's only 40 minutes away, but there are, confusingly, three local stations. Barry Island is best for kitsch seaside fun, and Barry station itself is nearest to The Goodsheds, a new shipping-container village packed with shops, restaurants and bars. Try Cozy Tapas for bottomless brunch and stock up on Welsh craft ales at Craft Republic, a dog-friendly independent bar and bottle shop. There's a self-guided trail of locations from the TV series to download. Take a selfie by the mural outside Marco's, the promenade café where Stacey works in the show and Nessa's Slots amusement arcade round the corner. Stacey's home is the final stop, the residential house at 47 Trinity Street regularly attracting a small gathering of devotees. Crackin'.