New £100m train depot to open in Taffs Well

A new state of the art train depot is to open in Taffs Well as part of plans for the South Wales Metro, Economy Secretary Ken Skates has announced.

The Welsh Government will invest nearly £100m in the new Transport for Wales depot which will house and service 36 of the new Metro vehicles operating on the Taff Vale lines.

The depot will also become the base for 400 train crew, 35 Metro vehicle maintenance staff and a South Wales Metro integrated control centre employing 52 staff.

As part of the Welsh Government’s £194m  investment in Wales wide station improvements, Taffs Well  will also see its railway station being modernised, with a park and ride facility to improve commuter access to the South Wales Metro.

The new depot at Taffs Well will complement  existing South Wales depots including the one in Canton, which will benefit from around a £5m investment to modernise maintenance facilities so it can support the new tri-mode rolling stock being introduced as part of the new rail service.

There will also be  investment in enhanced stabling facilities in Treherbert and Rhymney, and an upgrade of the station at Rhymney to accommodate more and longer tri-mode rolling stock.

Ken Skates said:

“Clearance and construction work for the new depot is expected to start in 2019 and complete by mid 2022.

“Transport for Wales will procure construction companies for the new depot through Sell2Wales and the Stride framework to ensure that economic benefits for Wales are maximised.”