South Wales Metro - We're working in your area
The South Wales Metro will be the biggest upgrade to public transport in South East Wales for a generation. This integrated transport system of trains, tram trains, buses, walking, and cycling will provide a modern service of which Wales can be proud. In the next few years, we have a significant amount of construction, engineering, and infrastructure work to do to upgrade your rail network so that it's ready for the Metro, and we're currently working in your local area.
Progress
As part of our work to deliver your Metro, we'll be progressing with the construction of a new accessible footbridge at Fernhill station. In April 2023, we closed the two level-crossings near the station: Glenboi (Fernhill station crossing) and Bruces Upper. This has allowed us to continue our work to transform and upgrade the Aberdare line, including installing an upgraded signalling system and Overhead Line Equipment that will power the new tram-trains. The accessible footbridge which is due to be constructed at Fernhill will replace these two-level crossings which will remain closed.
In the meantime, we have a shuttle bus service in place to help people cross the railway safely, which operates 06:00 to 21:00. See final page for a copy of the poster that went up at the station in autumn containing the timetable.
Our recent work at Fernhill has involved preparations of our temporary compound at Abercwmboi and on the site of the new bridge. We've been taking deliveries of essential building materials at the site, including 14,000 tonnes of stone.
We've also been preparing the ground near to Fernhill station, at the site of the new footbrige. This has involved removing vegetation, clearing away soil and essential drainage work to prevent flooding.
We've constructed a Road Rail Access Point (RRAP) so our teams can access the railway to the north of the station. This means we won't need to access the worksite as much via road, which has meant less work vehicles coming and going.
We've also been working with the local planning authority, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council to gain planning permission for the new bridge.
What's coming up this spring
As planning permission has now been granted, we'll begin the main work of the footbridge installation this April 2024, starting with piling foundations that will support the new footbridge. Piling can be a noisy activity as it involves pushing the pile/foundation deep into the ground using heaving machinery. We're aiming to do all the piling work during the day to avoid disruption.
As work at Fernhill station will be increasing over the coming months, the compound site in Abercwmboi will be more active as the installation begins. Where possible, deliveries of essential building materials for this stage of work will take place during the day in order to minimise disruption.
What will the footbridge look like?
The footbridge will be painted green and will be fully accessible, with both ramps and stairs either side of the platforms. It will carry a public right of way so will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will be maintained by Transport for Wales. There will be a CCTV system installed at the station to monitor.
The below images show the plans for design of the footbridge:
Drawing of Fernhill footbridge
Similar footbridge
Severn Tunnel Junction station has had a similar footbridge installed, the images below give an idea of how the Fernhill station footbridge will look when complete:
Severn Tunnel Junction footbridge
Working responsibly
Alongside our partners, we'll aim to work responsibly, ensuring that our sites are well managed and that our people are considered to our neighbours. We will aim to keep the community updated on progress at key milestones between now and the early autumn when we anticipate completing work and vacating site. We will provide a more accurate end date for our work soon.
Drop-in session
To find out more about Fernhill footbridge installation, we have organised a drop-in session:
- Location: Mountain Ash Library, Oxford Street, Mountain Ash, CF45 3HD.
- Date: Monday 22 April 2024
- Time: 17:00 to 20:00
During the drop-in session, we can discuss the details of the planned work with you to ensure you are full informed. You are welcome to drop in to see us anytime between 17:00 to 20:00.
More information
Our team is available to speak to you 24/7, so please call us on 03333 211 202. Alternatively, you may contact us via WhatsApp on 07790 952 507 (07:00 - 20:00 on Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 20:00 on Saturday, and 11:00 - 20:00 on Sunday). We receive high volumes of contact but please be assured we will assign your queries to the correct team/s who will get back you as soon as possible.
If you seek more information or would like the information presented in a different format, please visit tfw.wales/contact-us. You can learn more about our vision for the South Wales Metro by visiting tfw.wales/projects/metro, and about our work to build the Metro at tfw.wales/projects/metro/building-our-metro.
The Welsh Government and TfW are committed to an ambitious programme of Metro improvements known as the Core Valley Lines (CVL) Transformation. This transformation project has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
