Full electrification of core valley lines completed

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The full electrification of the Core Valley railway lines has been completed, Transport for Wales (TfW) has confirmed.

The electrification began in 2020 as part of the South Wales Metro project, and has now been completed after the line between Cardiff Queen Street station and Cardiff Bay was electrified.

The Rhymney line has been fully electric since December 2025.

Electric tri-mode trains have been running in south Wales since 2024, with TfW set to introduce the first of its 36 fully electric Class 398 tram-trains this spring.

Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s transport secretary, described the full electrification as a “landmark moment” and said: “We are finally seeing our ambition become a reality thanks to our unprecedented investment of more than £1bn to transform the Core Valley Lines, with £800 million on new trains, and years of hard work and commitment from TfW.  

“New, faster, modern trains, offering increased capacity and more frequent services helping to transform passenger experiences.”

Dan Tipper, TfW’s chief infrastructure officer, said: “This has been one of the most complex engineering programmes undertaken in Wales in recent decades and delivering it safely and efficiently is a testament to the skill and dedication of everyone involved.  

“I’m immensely proud of the work delivered and the benefits it will unlock for passengers across the valleys, with greener and faster services connecting communities.”

He added: “We’re hugely grateful to our communities who have at times been heavily impacted by the work. They will now be able to reap the benefits of the improvements through faster, greener, more frequent and reliable services.”