Usually when we head to Wales on these pages its to the north to take a look at the Great Orme Tramway or the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Tramway Society’s no. 7, but at the other end of the country there is set to be a reason for more coverage as the South Wales Metro is currently being developed.
Transport for Wales describes the South Wales Metro as “an ambitious, multi-million-pound project. The South Wales Metro will be an integrated network of bus, rail and active travel (walking and cycling) that will improve connectivity and make sustainable travel easier across South Wales.”
Whilst currently the rail side of the network will be firmly on current heavy rail lines there are also plans for a street running section from Cardiff Bay station (which is currently at the end of a short branch from Cardiff Queen Street station) running past the Millennium Stadium and the Welsh Parliament building.
In order to facilitate this future extension Transport for Wales have ordered a fleet of 36 Tram-Trains from Stadler. The first of these Citylink vehicles – similar to the Tram-Trains operating in Sheffield – have now been delivered to Taff’s Well Depot. This depot is also a new build for the project with work ongoing to complete this facility.
This is the new Taff’s Well Depot and Control Centre where work continues to bring a state of the art facility to the area.
If you looked carefully at the last photo you may have noticed that there were two of the Citylink vehicles in situ and here we take a closer look at them. The first two of the vehicles to have been delivered are 398 007 and 398 008. They will run on 25kv overhead and on battery power for the unwired sections of the Metro. (Both Photographs by Bob Hodges, 14th April 2023)