South Wales Metro depot opens as £100m Welsh hub today

King Charles has opened the South Wales Metro depot at Taff’s Well, a £100 million facility that anchors the metro’s electrification, new rolling stock and wider transport upgrades, according to Transport for Wales.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

South Wales Metro depot: operations and capacity

The £100 million South Wales Metro depot at Taff’s Well functions as the operational home of the metro and supports more than 400 jobs, a figure also cited by Railway Pro. The 5-hectare site includes a purpose-built train depot, stabling for 36 tram-trains and the South Wales Metro Integrated Control Centre.

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South Wales Metro depot and Core Valley Lines upgrade

The wider South Wales Metro programme electrifies more than 170 kilometres of Core Valley Lines track so electric trains can run on the network, as detailed by Rail Technology Magazine. Electric services began running last year, and Transport for Wales plans to introduce the first of the new tram-trains in 2026.

Often described as the “Welsh Tube”, the South Wales Metro aims to transform transport and connectivity across Cardiff and the South Wales Valleys. The project seeks to improve access to employment, education, healthcare and leisure by delivering faster, more frequent and more reliable public transport.

During the opening, King Charles met Transport for Wales staff at Taff’s Well and travelled in the driver’s cab of a tram-train. Children from three local schools and community representatives also attended, reflecting the strong local interest in the project. Their presence underlined how the project affects everyday life in surrounding communities and how the new metro network reshapes regional travel choices.

Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan called improving transport across Wales one of her top priorities and linked South Wales Metro investment to that goal. She highlighted better services, brand-new trains and Pay-As-You-Go ticketing as benefits already transforming, in practice, how passengers experience everyday travel today. Morgan also described the Taff’s Well facility as a major milestone within a £1 billion investment to upgrade the Core Valley Lines.

Transport for Wales CEO James Price welcomed His Majesty King Charles to Taff’s Well and used the visit to showcase the depot. He pointed to electrified railways, brand-new trains and state-of-the-art depot as evidence that the South Wales Metro is transforming how people travel in the region.

He explained that TfW is in the final stages of electrifying 170 kilometres of track and has introduced its first electric trains on the network. Price said they are excited to start introducing the brand-new tram-trains next year, building on the progress already achieved across the metro system. He thanked TfW teams, construction partners and the local community in Taff’s Well, noting the depot’s locally adopted name, the “Walnut Tree Depot”.

TfW Chair Vernon Everitt said the South Wales Metro transforms regional transport and that the depot opens a new chapter for services in Wales.

He argued that transport enables sustainable economic growth, higher productivity and better access to homes, jobs, education, health and opportunity for everyone. Everitt stressed that, at its heart, transport tackles inequality in all its forms and supports better lives and regeneration across South Wales.

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