From the 24 December until early hours of the 7 January, the railway was closed between Pontypridd and both Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare.  The blockade allowed TfW and their partners to work around the clock on key infrastructure works including the removal of Devil's Footbridge, installation of over 63,000 metres of fibre-optic cable for the upgrading of signalling equipment and over 100 trial holes and a mixture of foundations completed in readiness for electrification of the line. 

The transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, and will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys. 

Teams on the ground also successfully installed 150 metres of track including five switching and crossing panels.  

Karl Gilmore, Rail Infrastructure Director at TfW said: 

“We safely and successfully completed another blockade on the Core Valley Lines, which means another forward step in delivering the South Wales Metro for the people of Wales.  

“We were able to deliver key infrastructure works that will allow us to electrify the line and prepare it for the introduction of brand-new tram-trains in the coming years.  

“Our teams and partners worked continuously over the Christmas break to minimise disruption to the travelling public. 

“I’d like to thank our teams and partners for their dedication and hard work in testing weather conditions and also to the travelling public and our lineside neighbours for their understanding and continued support. 

Information Source: Transport for Wales