How the Metro transformation works will affect your journey plans between March 2024 and April 2024

Metro is being purpose built for Wales’ future. It will be a modern, efficient and sustainable way to travel but there may be temporary periods of change to your journey plans while be build it. Where possible we’re scheduling the transformation work to take place during less busy times to minimise disruption. We’re offering connections between rail services and bus services.

 

Cardiff Queen Street Station closures

As part of the South Wales Metro transformation, we’re upgrading the railway at Cardiff Queen Street, a busy gateway into our capital city. This work is essential to deliver Metro and involves new signalling and track upgrades so that we can run more services and introduce brand new electric trains onto our network soon.

To undertake these essential upgrades, we’ll need to close the station to trains for short periods with the work taking place during weekends to minimise disruption as much as possible.

During the following weekends, Cardiff Queen Street station will be closed, with no rail services stopping at or travelling through the station:

Friday 29 March - Monday 01 April, all day.

As this is a major junction for our Valleys, City and Cardiff Bay services, its temporary closure means several services that would normally run through Cardiff Queen Street are affected. If you’re travelling into or out of any of the following stations you will need to check before you travel as there will be replacement buses in operation or ticket acceptance with bus operators:

Cardiff Queen Street, Cardiff Central, Llandaff, Cathays, Cardiff Bay, Penarth, Coryton, Rhiwbina, Birchgrove, Ty Glas, Heath Low Level, Danescourt, Fairwater, Waun-gron Park, Ninian Park and Heath High Level.

The ticket office at Cardiff Queen Street station will remain open during these weekends to allow passengers to purchase tickets and find information on services.

 

Changes to train services

  • Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr services
    • Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr services will run to and from Cardiff Central, via the City Line. Services will not stop at City Line stations.

    • Those needing to travel to Llandaff, Cathays or Cardiff Queen Street can change at Radyr where a regular bus replacement service will be in operation between Radyr and Cardiff Central, stopping at these stations.

    • Cardiff Central - Radyr via Cathays

  • City Line services
    • Trains running between Radyr and Cardiff Central via the City Line will not stop at Danescourt, Fairwater, Waun-Gron Park or Ninian Park.

    • During the closures, ticket acceptance will be in place with Cardiff Bus 61, 62 and 63 services on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays for passengers needing to travel along the City Line. Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

  • Coryton line services
    • No rail services will run on the Coryton line - Coryton, Rhiwbina, Birchgrove, Ty Glas, Heath Low Level, - during these closures. Ticket acceptance with Cardiff Bus will be in place along this route on the Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays during the closures.  

  • Rhymney line services
    • All Rhymney line services, including those travelling from Bargoed and Caerphilly will terminate at Heath High Level station.

    • We’ll be operating a bus replacement service from Caerphilly station, calling at Lisvane and Thornhill, Llanishen and Heath High Level, and travelling to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central.

    • Passengers travelling into Cardiff are advised to change onto a rail replacement service at Caerphilly station.

    • Those travelling to Lisvane and Thornhill, Llanishen and Heath High Level can stay on the train. The train will continue travelling South of Caerphilly to serve these stations; however, it will not continue onto Cardiff Queen Street station.

    • Cardiff Central - Caerphilly

  • Penarth line services
    • During the closure, we will not be able to operate a rail service between Cardiff Central and Penarth. A half-hourly rail replacement bus service will operate on the Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays during the closures.

  • Cardiff Bay line services 
    • During the closure, we will not be able to operate the Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay rail service.

    • Ticket acceptance will be in place with Cardiff Bus on its Cardiff Bus Baycar number 6 service. Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

    • We will be operating a partial bus replacement service between Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay during the following hours:  

      • Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays: 06:30 - 09:15 and 21:15 - 00:00

      • Sundays, 20:15 - 23:00

    • Cardiff Central - Cardiff Bay

Further information on the upcoming Sunday closures at Queen Street Station, bus replacement services and closures across the South-East Wales network can be found below.

 

Rail replacement bus services

We’re always looking at improving customer experience and your honest feedback on the survey will help us shape our rail replacement services in the future.

  • Service changes | Cardiff Central - Coryton | Mondays - Thursdays, from late evening onwards
    • Changes to sevices between Cardiff Central and Coryton

      Metro engineering work means that, from Mondays to Thursdays, the last train is now much earlier.

      20:15 Coryton - Cardiff Central
      19:51 Cardiff Central - Coryton

      For later services, ticket acceptance has been agreed with Cardiff Bus, visit cardiffbus.com.

      Cardiff Central - Coryton

  • Service changes | Cardiff Central - Rhymney | Mondays - Thursdays and Sundays, from late evening onwards
    • Mondays - Thursdays, from approximately 20:00 onwards; Sundays, from approximately  18:30 onwards.

      Cardiff Central - Rhymney

  • Service changes | Pontypridd - Treherbert | Sundays - Thursdays, from late evening onwards
    • We are still carrying out essential electrification works on the line and as a result trains will be replaced during the evenings from Sundays to Thursdays, so we’re asking our passengers to check before travelling.

      Our journey checker tool will be updated with the replacement bus information.

      Pontypridd - Treherbert

March

  • Cardiff Central - Caerphilly | Sunday 24 March, all day
    • Cardiff Central - Caerphilly

  • Cardiff Central - Radyr via Cathays¹ | Sunday 24 March, all day
    • 1. Trains will run non-stop from Radyr to Cardiff Central along the City Line. Rail replacement buses are available for Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen St.

    • Cardiff Central - Radyr via Cathays

  • Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay | Sunday 24 March
    • Ticket acceptance on Cardiff Bus Baycar (number 6 bus)¹ only.

    • No rail replacement bus service.

    • 1. Between Cardiff Central Library (Canal St.) and Cardiff Bay (Millennium Centre / The Senedd). Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

    • Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay

  • Cardiff Central - Radyr via City line | Friday 29 March - Saturday 30 March, all day
    • Ticket acceptance has been agreed with Cardiff Bus. Services 61, 62 and 63 to and from Cardiff. Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

    • No rail replacement bus service.

    • Cardiff Central - Radyr via City line

  • Cardiff Central - Caerphilly | Friday 29 March - Monday 01 April, all day
    • ​​Cardiff Central - Caerphilly

  • Cardiff Central - Radyr via Cathays¹ | Friday 29 March - Monday 01 April, all day
    • 1. Trains will run non-stop from Radyr to Cardiff Central along the City Line. Rail replacement buses are available for Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen St.

    • Cardiff Central - Radyr via Cathays

  • Cardiff Central - Cardiff Bay | Friday 29 March - Monday 01 April
    • Ticket acceptance on Cardiff Bus Baycar (number 6 bus)¹ and

    • Partial rail replacement bus service:

      • Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays: 06:30 - 09:15 and 21:15 - 00:00

      • Sundays, 20:15 - 23:00

    • 1. Between Cardiff Central Library (Canal St.) and Cardiff Bay (Millennium Centre / The Senedd). Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

    • Cardiff Central - Cardiff Bay

  • Cardiff Central - Rhymney | Saturday 30 March, morning and late night
    • ​​Cardiff Central - Rhymney

  • Cardiff Central - Rhymney | Sunday 31 March - Monday 01 April, mornings
    • Cardiff Central - Rhymney

April

  • Cardiff Central - Radyr via City line | Monday 01 April, all day
    • Ticket acceptance has been agreed with Cardiff Bus. Services 61, 62 and 63 to and from Cardiff. Please check your journey on cardiffbus.com.

    • No rail replacement bus service.

    • Cardiff Central - Radyr via City line

  • Travel Advice FAQs
    • What work will be undertaken during this period?

      A whole package of works is planned including track and signalling work along with general maintenance.
      Find out all about Metro here.

       

      What will I expect when I arrive at the Radyr station inter-change hub?

      Radyr station will act as the main inter-change hub between rail and bus services. Customer service teams will be at hand at Radyr station to direct customers to and from the inter-change hub situated in the adjacent car park. Road transport has been arranged to link in with train services to keep wait times to a minimum. Toilet and shelter facilities will be available.

       

      Where will I be picked up or dropped off at my local station?

      Most bus service pick up / drop up points are situated outside the station. They will be clearly signposted but you can check out the location of your rail replacement bus stop here (choose your station then Car Park Information) or on the Useful Information Poster at your station.

       

      I usually take my bike on the train as I need it for onwards travel - can I take it on the bus service?

      Normally bikes are not permitted on rail replacement bus services however where possible bikes may be carried dependent on the driver’s discretion and space available. Any bikes carried on our bus services is at your own risk and Transport for Wales cannot accept responsibility for any damages.

       

      Can I take my dog on the bus service?

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

       

      Can you take prams on the bus service?

      Prams are allowed however we ask that they are folded up before boarding.

       

      How much extra time will the bus service leg of my journey add to my overall journey?

      For the exact times you will need to check your specific journey plans but here’s a guide for some key journeys. These are based on average times for the time of night travelled.

      Route Approx bus service times
      Radyr - Pontypridd 00:35 hrs
      Radyr - Merthyr Tydfil 01:20hrs
      Radyr - Aberdare 01:20hrs
      Radyr - Treherbert 01:25 hrs

       

      Can I buy a ticket on the bus?

      There are no ticket purchasing facilities on board buses. Tickets must be bought before boarding a bus at your local booking office, ticket machines, on-line using our journey planner or from our app.

       

      I am a wheelchair user, can I access the rail replacement bus service?

      The buses are wheelchair accessible with low loading floors. For advice and to book assistance in advance call our Passenger Assist team 03330 050 501.

 

Future improvement work

For planned improvement works across our network that can affect the timetable please visit this page

Planned improvement work

 

Industial action

For industrial action that can affect the timetable please visit this page

Industrial action