His Majesty King Charles has officially opened the new South Wales Metro Depot at Taff’s Well, a GBP 100 million facility that will become the operational home of the South Wales Metro and support more than 400 jobs. The 5-hectare site, now fully complete, includes a purpose-built train depot, stabling for 36 tram-trains and the South Wales Metro Integrated Control Centre.
The opening marks a significant stage in Transport for Wales’ (TfW) delivery of the Metro, one of the country’s largest infrastructure programmes. The scheme involves electrifying more than 170 km of track across the Core Valley Lines, enabling electric trains to run on the network for the first time last year. The first of the new tram-trains will enter service in 2026.
Transforming transport and connectivity across the Valleys
Recently branded the “Welsh Tube”, the South Wales Metro aims to improve access to employment, education, healthcare and leisure across Cardiff and the South Wales Valleys. The project is designed to link some of Europe’s most deprived communities with faster, more frequent and more reliable public transport.
During the visit, King Charles met with TfW staff and travelled in the driver’s cab of one of the new tram-trains. Children from three local schools and community representatives also attended the event.
‘A major milestone’ in Wales’ transport modernisation
Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “Improving transport across Wales is one of my top priorities – investing in high quality transport which is more reliable, more convenient and more enjoyable to use.
“We are already seeing the significant benefits of our investment in the South Wales Metro. Better services, brand-new trains and Pay-As-You-go ticketing have transformed travel for passengers. The opening of the Taffs Well Depot marks a major milestone in our GBP 1bn investment to upgrade the Core Valley Lines.”
Final stages of electrification
James Price, CEO of Transport for Wales, said: “It’s been a pleasure to host his Majesty, King Charles at Taff’s Well today and for him to tour our South Wales Metro Depot.
“With electrified railways, brand-new trains and a state-of-the-art depot, the South Wales Metro is transforming the way people travel in the region, and most importantly connecting people and communities to opportunities.
“We’re in the final stages of electrifying 170 km of track and have already introduced our first electric trains onto the network, alongside pay as you go ticketing for our customers. We’re excited to start introducing the brand-new tram-trains next year.”
Price thanked TfW teams, construction partners and the local community in Taff’s Well for their support during construction. He added that the depot’s locally adopted name, “The Walnut Tree Depot”, reflects that community connection.
A catalyst for regeneration
Transport for Wales Chair Vernon Everitt said: “The South Wales Metro is transforming transport in the region and the opening of this depot signifies the beginning of a new chapter in Welsh public transport.
“Transport is an essential enabler of sustainable economic growth, higher productivity and access to homes, jobs, education, better health and opportunity for everyone. At its heart, transport is about tackling inequality in all its forms.”
He added: “This one-hundred-million-pound facility that we open today is, therefore, so much more than bricks, mortar and steel tracks. It is a cornerstone for better lives in South Wales and a catalyst for regeneration. Transport for Wales is delivering change and improvements in public transport across the whole of Wales and into the borders and our vision is to create one integrated network.”
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