Seventy percent of all Transport for Wales services will be operated on new trains following timetable changes this May.
Brand new Class 756 tri-mode trains will also be introduced onto the Coryton and Penarth lines later this summer, further increasing the number of new trains providing services on the Wales and Borders network.
Rail customers across Wales and the Borders are being urged to check their journey details prior to travel with a new rail timetable coming into effect on Sunday 18 May.
Regular travellers who are used to catching their service at the same time each day should ensure they know what the changes will mean for them.
Transport for Wales’ Planning and Performance Director Colin Lea said: “We’re pleased to be delivering a number of small but important changes across our network that we think will make a big difference for customers.
“Some later services on busy routes, longer trains in the summer to holiday destinations and the continued roll out of brand-new trains as part of an £800 million investment by the Welsh Government are among the key highlights.
“It’s always important to check your journey details, even if it’s a train you catch day in, day out, so please don’t get caught out. The same applies to those making connections as other operators may also be making changes that could affect your journey.”
New arrivals platform at Aberdare Station
On Sunday 18 May a new second platform will open at Aberdare station, located just south of the main Aberdare station and conveniently opposite the Sobell Leisure Centre. This will enable more services to run on the Aberdare line once the South Wales Metro is complete.
The new platform will be for arrivals only when travelling to Aberdare. Passengers traveling from Aberdare to stations south towards Cardiff will continue to use the original platform (Platform 1).
Alongside the new platform, a new track loop has been installed. This new infrastructure is crucial for increasing the frequency of trains from Aberdare to Cardiff, to deliver four trains per hour when all the new tram-trains are in service.
New integrated routes
From 18 May customers will be able to purchase a combined rail and T6 and rail and T10 tickets through TfW retail channels.
T6 (Swansea to Brecon) Customers will be able to travel to/from Ystradgynlais or Brecon using a combined ticket with connections at Neath.
T10 (Bangor to Corwen) Customers will be able to travel to/from Capel Curig or Corwen using a combined ticket with connections at Bangor.
