On board

Yes you can however as our trains have limited capacity, it is strongly recommended that you make your reservation as far in advance as possible and reserve a cycle space at the time of purchasing your ticket.

Please note, on some Valleys and Cardiff local routes bicycles cannot be taken on trains during peak hours. Further details are available here.

Are there any times where I'm unable to take my bicycle on a train?

You cannot take a bicycle on a train:

1. During periods of engineering work, you won't be able to take your bike on replacement bus services.
2. On some Valleys and Cardiff local routes bicycles cannot be taken on trains during peak hours.
3. If you haven't made a reservation for a bicycle space and there is no free space available on board the train. 

Further details can be found here.

Why don't you provide more room for cycles?

Most of our trains were built with a space for up to two cycles. We have increased the number of trains carrying cycles; and reservations are free. With only limited space we consider that reservations are essential for long distance trains, to ensure passengers with cycles are sure to board the train of their choice. To provide further space with our existing train fleet means removing seats, which are used at peak times and we have to balance up the desires of those passengers who do not wish to cycle, but do wish to have a seat.

No, we currently don't allow E-Scooters onto our services due to safety concerns

Please note, we do however allow electrically assisted pedal cycles (e-cycles or e-bikes) on our services under the same terms as standard pedal cycles’ as these have higher manufacturing standards than E-Scooters.

Animals on board

Passengers may take a cat or other small animals with them (maximum two per passenger), free of charge and subject to conditions below, provided they do not endanger or inconvenience passengers or staff. 

Cats or any other small animals must be carried in an enclosed basket, cage or pet carrier. It must be rigid and not open (to prevent escape) and the animal able to stand and lie down in comfort.

Animals and containers must not occupy seats, otherwise, a charge will be made.
Further information can be viewed on the National Rail website.

Passengers may take a dog with them (maximum two per passenger), free of charge and subject to conditions below, provided they do not endanger or inconvenience passengers or staff. 

• Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times unless contained in a basket. 

• Dogs without leads must be carried in an enclosed basket, cage or pet carrier. It must be rigid and not open (to prevent escape) and the animal able to stand and lie down in comfort. 

Further information can be viewed the National Rail website here.

Do I have to pay to take my dog on a train?

No, dogs can travel free or charge. Dogs must not occupy seats; otherwise a charge will be made. Further information can be viewed on the National Rail website here.

Can I take my dog on the bus service?

Normally dogs are not permitted on rail replacement bus services except guide dogs.

What is a request stop?

Our request stops are railway stations where trains will only stop if requested to by a customer wanting to get on or off. This allows us to reduce your journey times by not stopping unnecessarily at stations that typically see fewer passengers.

The easiest way to find out if your station is a request stop is to view your journey on the TfW app. You’ll see ‘stop on request’ indicated below request stop stations. You’ll also hear an announcement at some of our railway stations if a departing train will be calling at any request stops.

I need to get off at a request stop

Please let the conductor know in good time when you’ve boarded the train. If the train is very busy, you can also do this on the platform before you’ve boarded. The conductor will arrange for the train to stop at your station with the driver.

I need to get on at a request stop

As the train approaches the station, you’ll need to signal to the driver that you’d like the train to stop by raising your hand. Don’t worry, the train will approach request stops at a low speed to give the driver plenty of time to see you and bring the train safely to a halt.

Will the train always stop if requested?

At certain times, a train may not be scheduled to stop at a station or will only stop to allow passengers to get off the train (set-down only). Please check your journey on the TfW app to see if a train is scheduled to stop at your station.

I don’t have the app and would like more information

A list of request stop stations is available on our On Train Wi-Fi Portal. If you don’t have a device with Wi-Fi enabled, please speak to your conductor on the train or get in touch with us using the link below. We’ll be happy to help.

There is free WiFi connection on most of our rail services.

The WiFi service, dependent on mobile network service availability, allows passengers to carry out tasks like browsing webpages, access apps and check emails.

Some of our trains currently do not have WiFi, however we are in the process of installing routers on board. The trains without Wifi are:

Class 153 - operate Heart of Wales, West Wales, Conwy Valley, City Line and Cardiff Bay routes.

Class 170 - operate between Maesteg and Cheltenham.

Full details about free WiFi can be found here.

Travelling with luggage and pets?

You can bring up to three items of personal luggage on our trains free of charge - including up to two large items (such as suitcases or rucksacks) and one smaller handbag, backpack or briefcase.

Wheelchairs (up to a certain size), folded prams, carrycots and bicycles are all allowed on our trains. Find out more about bikes on board.

You can also bring dogs, cats and other small animals (maximum two per passenger) as long as they don’t endanger or inconvenience other customers or staff. During engineering work, dogs are not permitted on rail replacement bus services except guide dogs.

If you have excess luggage, or bulky items over one metre in length, we may be able to carry these for an additional charge, subject to available space. During engineering work, you can’t bring any large objects on replacement bus services.

Mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and pedal-assist bikes

You’re allowed to bring electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters on the train. To help us best meet your needs, please let us know before your journey if you need to bring these onboard – we’ll be happy to help. Electric pedal-assist bikes can also be carried on the train in line with our cycle policy.

What’s not allowed?

• Items over one metre in any dimension that you can’t carry without help. This includes canoes, hang-gliders, sail/surf boards, large furniture and any large musical instruments
• E-scooters and e-unicycles can’t be carried on our trains under any circumstances. Studies have shown that the lithium-ion batteries used on these devices can pose a fire risk and also emit toxic smoke. We recognise this may be disappointing, but the safety and comfort of our customers will always be our priority.
• Electric bikes (powered only by a motor) can’t be carried on our trains for safety reasons.
• Motorcycles and mopeds
• Livestock (e.g. pigs, sheep and goats)
• Any animal or article that our staff think is causing, or is likely to cause, inconvenience to customers due to its size or behaviour

Find out more about what you can and cannot bring on board fromNational Rail Enquires Advice and Regulations.

Yes. We operate a fleet of 134 trains and carriages, which are mostly one or two coach diesel trains.

All our trains are leased from Rolling Stock Operating Companies. We are responsible for day to day maintenance and cleaning, and the leasing companies responsible for major periodic refurbishments.

For any large scale improvement or modification to our fleet, we work closely with our partners in the Welsh Government, the Rolling Stock Operating Company and other suppliers to ensure that the quality of our fleet meets the needs and desires of our passengers and stakeholders.