Taffs Well to get £100m depot for new Metro trains
ANEW train depot is to open in Taffs Well as part of plans for the South Wales Metro.
The announcement, by Economy Secretary Ken Skates, said the Welsh Government will invest almost £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 an integrated South Wales Metro 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 modernised, with a park-and-ride facility to improve commuter access to the South Wales Metro.
The 10-acre Garth Works and Estate site – where as well as the 200,000 sq ft Forgemasters operation which closed in the 1980s, there are a number of occupied small business units – also runs alongside the main road route between Cardiff and the Valleys in the A470.
The depot at Taffs Well will complement existing south Wales depots including the one in Canton, which will benefit from an investment of around £5m to modernise maintenance facilities so it can support the new trimode 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 trimode rolling stock.
As a major Metro transport hub, it could be the catalyst for a wave of new commercial developments, including potential new office and retail space at Taffs Well.
Mr Skates said: “Public investment with a social purpose is right at the heart of our new approach to rail and in line with our Economic Action Plan, and we are determined to ensure that our £5bn investment in rail services maximises opportunities for Welsh business, stimulates the Welsh economy and develops the local skills base, creating and supporting as many local jobs as possible.
“The construction of the Taff’s Well depot presents one of the first opportunities for Welsh suppliers to directly benefit from our £738m investment in the South Wales Metro which will see us creating a sustainable and connected transport infrastructure.”
Mr Skates added: “I am genuinely excited about the benefits of this public sector investment making a real and tangible difference to Welsh businesses and communities.”
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.