Ahead of the introduction of Transport For Wales' new fleet of trains, WCDP visited Transport for Wales’ with members of Pentre, Pontyclun, Pontypridd and Rhondda Hard of Hearing groups mock-up site to get a behind-the-scenes preview!
Situated next to the new South Wales Metro Control Centre, the Taffs Well facility showcases versions of the CAF Civity 197, Stadler CityLink Tram-Train 398 and a saloon section of the Stadler Flirt 231/756.
Nearby the construction of a new £100m depot is underway, as well as the development of the Metro Control Centre. The Taff’s Well depot will be home to the new Metro trains as well as the 400 train crew, 35 maintenance staff and 52 Metro Control Centre staff. For this reason it is, perhaps, no surprise that the mock-ups are stored away nearby. It's set to be completed in 2023, but bosses admit the finishing date could be pushed back a few months because of supply chain issues and the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the South Wales Metro, TfW is:
- Electrifying around 170km of track
- Upgrading all stations and signalling
- Building at least two new stations
- TfW say the South Wales Metro will offer faster and more frequent services, with some Valley lines expected to see four services run per hour
