WIREDGOV

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised a significant expansion of Aberdare Station in South Wales as part of work to upgrade the Core Valley Lines.

Photo from Transport for Wales

Aberdare Station’s new arrivals platform will facilitate ‘turn up and go’ services as part of the South Wales Metro and serve passengers heading towards Cardiff. It features level boarding, stepped and ramp access alongside modern signage and systems.

ORR’s authorisation is a key milestone in getting new, upgraded or renewed infrastructure, such as this platform, ready to open. It confirms that standards on areas like health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability and availability have been met.

ORR has authorised a number of projects as part of the Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme, including new overhead line equipment, signalling upgrades, and track changes, which are set to improve performance and reliability.

ORR authorises new and upgraded infrastructure like Aberdare Station as part of its responsibility to authorise infrastructure and rolling stock that are new or have had a major upgrade or renewal. ORR has worked with Transport for Wales from the outset of the project to support them through the authorisation process, ensuring that important checks and surveys are carried out.

Steve Fletcher, Deputy Director of Engineering and Asset Management at ORR, recently said:

“This is a significant upgrade for connectivity in South Wales and we look forward to seeing the station open for passengers. 

“We’re pleased to have played our part in getting the station ready to open. Our team worked closely with Transport for Wales to support them through the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country.”