South Wales metro: £1bil ‘Welsh Tube’ to launch by 2026 with contactless payments and 105-mile network
Wales is on track to launch its own version of the London Underground, a billion-pound metro system designed to revolutionise transport across Cardiff and the wider South Wales region.
Nicknamed the "Welsh Tube", the ambitious £1 billion project, first conceived in 2013, is expected to come together fully by 2026. Spanning 170 kilometres (105.6 miles) of track and introducing 36 tram-style trains, the new South Wales Metro system aims to provide fast, frequent and accessible travel between Cardiff and surrounding areas including Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney, and Treherbert.
The system will feature six core lines, all colour-coded on a new map that mirrors the familiar design of London’s iconic Tube network. Though much of it will operate overground, officials note that this is also the case with the London Underground, where around 55% of services run above ground.
As part of its rollout, the project has already brought noticeable improvements to parts of the existing South Wales rail network. This includes the introduction of brand-new trains, enhanced accessibility features such as lifts and access-for-all bridges, bike hoops, and additional passenger information screens to help commuters navigate more easily.
Once fully operational, the Welsh Metro promises significantly increased service frequency. Commuters can expect four trains per hour between Cardiff and the heads of the Valleys. Between Caerphilly and Cardiff, the service will ramp up to six trains per hour, meaning a train will be available every 10 minutes. For Pontypridd, service frequency will reach 12 trains per hour, or one every five minutes.
In terms of payment, the system will adopt a contactless model, mirroring payment systems already in place on major urban networks like Transport for London (TfL), the New York Subway, and Rome’s metro.