We've been working hard to upgrade the Coryton and lower Rhymney lines as part of the South Wales Metro project to enhance rail services for our passengers. Following the successful electrification of these lines, we’re excited to introduce brand-new trains on the Coryton and Caerphilly to Penarth lines starting in July 2025.
In April 2025, we began testing our new Class 756 trains on the Coryton line to prepare them for passenger service. Their introduction will deliver several benefits for customers, including increased onboard capacity, improved comfort, and better access from the train to the platform.
Ty Glas level crossing is now open
Our maintenance team have now delivered essential safety upgrades to the level crossing. These upgrades, which include replacing the crossing floor and installing a new Northern entrance, are crucial to improve the safety of users as our new trains are quieter and accelerate more quickly than our older diesel trains.
With most upgrades now complete, the Ty Glas level crossing has now been reopened.
Works to extend the Ty Glas station platform will continue, and there may be short periods where we need to close the level crossing to carry out this work. This includes a closure on Saturday 22 November - Monday 8 December.
When using the level crossing, please remember to stop, look both ways, and listen before crossing the railway. If you're riding a bike, be sure to dismount before crossing. Remove any distractions, such as headphones, so that you can be fully aware of your surroundings.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the community for your continued patience as we work to upgrade Ty Glas station and its level crossing.
Temporary closure of Ty Glas Station
To accommodate these new longer 3-car trains, we’ll be carrying out significant upgrades at Ty Glas station.
As part of these upgrades, we’ll be extending the station platform by 16 meters. To ensure the safety of our passengers whilst we deliver these upgrades, we will need to temporarily close Ty Glas station.
How long will the station be closed for?
Construction of the new platform extension is expected to take approximately 10 months, with Ty Glas station reopening in Spring 2026. From the 19 July to Spring 2026, no rail services will stop at Ty Glas station.
Passengers who currently use Ty Glas station will be redirected to Birchgrove station, located 0.4 miles away (approximately an 8-minute walk), where rail services will run as normal.
FAQs
Will trains run as normal from Birchgrove station?
Yes, trains will run as normal at Birchgrove, with train times not affected.
Will trains stop at Ty Glas during the station closure?
No, rail services won’t stop at Ty Glas during the station closure. They’ll run through the station, stopping at Birchgrove and Heath Low Level as normal.
Will train times at Birchgrove and Heath Low Level change whilst Ty Glas station is closed?
No, the rail timetable will not change. Trains will continue to depart Birchgrove at XX:17 and XX:47, and XX:21 and XX:51 from Heath Low Level for services travelling to Cardiff.
Can I still use pay as you go whilst Ty Glas is closed?
If you would like to continue using pay as you go, you can use the tap-in-tap-out validator at Birchgrove station, where rail services will operate as normal.
During the closure of Ty Glas station, we'll temporarily adjust the pay as you go fare from Birchgrove to match the fare from Ty Glas.
Please note that this pricing change will only apply while Ty Glas station is closed. Once Ty Glas reopens in Spring 2026, the pay as you go fares from Birchgrove will return to its standard rate.
This price change does not apply to any other stations or Metro zones and is a temporary mitigation to support passengers affected by the closure of Ty Glas station.
More information on pay as you go fares can be found here: Pay as you go travel.
How many Class 756 (new trains) will be introduced onto the Coryton and Caerphilly lines?
We’ve successfully rolled out all five of our brand-new trains. These new trains mean that customers are now benefiting from more capacity on board as well as improved reliability and performance of our rail services.
Is the level crossing a Public Right of Way?
No, the crossing is not a Public Right of Way and is not an adopted footpath. The crossing is owned by Transport for Wales and its purpose is to provide access onto the Ty Glas station platform.
Are there any local bus services that I can use to get in and out of Cardiff whilst Ty Glas station is closed?
Yes, Cardiff Bus operate a number of services along this route, including:
- 86 (City Centre to Lisvane)
- 27 (City Centre to Llanishen and Thornhill)
- 21/23 (City Centre to Rhiwbina, Whitchurch and Pantmawr).
How are we communicating the station and level crossing closure to local schools?
We understand that both the station and level crossing are well used by pupils to get to local schools. Our top priority is ensuring that young people know how to use the railway safely.
Our educational partners Bollo will be reaching out to local schools to offer safety talks on how to use the railway safely, made even more important due to the recent electrification of the Coryton line.
Throughout the summer, we’ll also be holding pop-up events to educate communities on the increased risks of trespassing on the railway now that over 70% of the South Wales Valley lines are now electrified. More information on our No Second Chances safety campaign can be found here.
Will the majority of construction work to extend the station platform take place during the day?
Yes, as the station is closed, our teams will have full access to the station to complete the platform extension. Due to this, we expect the majority of work to be completed during the day. However, when we need to work at night, we’ll write to our lineside neighbours to make them aware.
More information
We’d like to remind everyone that attempting to access the station and level crossing whilst it is closed is extremely dangerous, especially as trains will not stop when passing Ty Glas station and our teams will be using heavy machinery to deliver these upgrades.
Anyone trespassing on the railway is at risk of serious injury and/or death. If you see anyone on the railway who you believe is not supposed to be there, please call 999 as soon as you can.
For non - emergencies, please text the British Transport Police on 61016.
You can read more about OLE here.
More information on our No Second Chances safety campaign can be found here.
