Travel: Trains between Cardiff and Rhondda resume after 10 months

A railway line has reopened after being shut for 10 months while engineers updated 19th Century infrastructure.

Passengers can now catch direct trains from Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf to Cardiff again after a 12-mile (19km) stretch of track reopened.

But Transport for Wales (TfW) warned commuters would have to wait for newer trains and more frequent services.

Ministers called it a "positive step" in the £1bn South Wales Metro project.

Stations, signals and footbridges have been refurbished and replaced while overhead electric wires for new electric trains have been installed.

Although TfW has warned that "essential electrification works" were still needed on the line, so rail replacement buses may be used during late evenings from Sundays to Thursdays.

"This is another massive investment that will make a huge difference to passengers travelling on the line," said Wales' deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters.

TfW will initially run two-trains an hour on the service - the same as before the closure - but said it would increase the frequency to four an hour next year, once new trains were running and the line was fully electrified.

TfW - which once said 95% of its fleet would be modern by 2023 - will initially run the 35-year-old Class 150 trains, but said the new Class 756 trains would be introduced later in the year.

"We've had to deliver new platforms, platform extensions, new track, we've put in new overhead power equipment that will power the new trains in time and we've also put in place new signalling new drainage," said Lois Park of TfW.

Train journeys take just over an hour for the 23 miles from Treherbert to Cardiff but, while the line has been shut, some road journeys have taken almost double that during very busy rush hours.

"We know replacement buses are not ideal," added Ms Park.

"People have had to change their journey patterns but the train service is running again now - and will only get better as the new trains come on board later this year and the more frequent trains start next year."

Sonal Patel, who runs a convenience store near Porth station, said the line and station closure cut her trade by more than 30%.

"My regular customers were using the train and whenever they popped in and out, they would get their stuff from here," said the 38-year-old.

Ms Patel had only just expanded her shop before the line closed, and said a lot of her stock had to be thrown away because it went out of date.

"It is really affecting my business and hopefully soon we'll get my customers back. It has been one year of struggle," she added.

Suzanne James, who works at the University of South Wales in Cardiff, said the line reopening was "wonderful" news - and that it had allowed her to spend "an extra hour at home" on Monday morning.

She said that some people in the area have had to change their jobs "because it was taking so long to get into Cardiff".

Jodie Thomas-Hartley, a teacher, said: "I'm happy because I know that it will be a lot quicker and more reliable."

The service restarted at 05:36 on Monday and trains will stop at eight stations in the 12 miles between Treherbert and Pontypridd - but will not initially call at Ynyswen as major work is carried out.

Passengers from the Rhondda can travel on TfW services for half price until the end of May 2024 "as a thank you to customers and lineside neighbours for their patience".