October 202 5
Dear railway neighbour,
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE REGARDING THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE RHYMNEY
RAILWAY LINES
Transport for Wales is delivering Metro, the biggest upgrade to public transport in South -East
Wales for a generation. In the next few years, we have a significant amount of construction,
engineering, and infrastructure work to do to upgrade our rail network so that it’s ready for
Metro. Initially, this will involve work to the Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney,
Treherbert, City and Cardiff Bay railway lines known as the Core Valley Lines.
As part of the South Wales Metro project, we will be installing overhead line equipment (OLE)
across the network to power our new electric trains, which will run on the Rhymney line.
Electrification of the upper Rhymney line
This letter is to notify you that the upper Rhymney line (from Caerphilly to Rhymney station) is
due to be electrified in the coming weeks . This means the power will be switched on and
available to be used. The overhead power lines that carry 25,000 volts will be ‘live’, making it
extremely dangerous for any persons to come close to the overhead wires or any associated
part of the structures . This includes the supporting masts, switch feeds and cables.
The overhead power lines are always on , and
you don’t need to touch them to be harmed or
killed as the electricity can jump over 3 meters.
It is also extremely dangerous to trespass on
the railway , as over the coming months we will
be testing our new electric rolling stock across
the network, and these train movements do not
always appear on our information boards or
online journey planners. We will also be
continuing to carry out infrastructure work to
improve our rail lines, where we will be utilising
railroad vehicles and machinery on the tracks.
Whilst there is no danger to people using the
railway correctly, anyone who does not respect
the railway boundary, the fence line that protects
both people and the operational railway from
deliberate or accidental trespass, are placing
themselves at risk.
Image showing Overhead Line Equipment:
1. Steel mast supporting the OLE equipment.
2. Cantilever ‘arm’ that carries the wires
3. Overhead wires that carry 25,000 volts
4. Earth wire attached to the steel mast.
Cwmni Cyfyngedig drwy Warrant. Cofrestrwyd yng Nghymru. Rhif Cwmni 09476013.
Cyfeiriad Swyddfa Gofrestredig: 3 Llys Cadwyn, Pontypridd, CF37 4TH
A Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Wales. Company No. 09476013. Registered Office Address: 3
Llys Cadwyn , Pontypridd, CF37 4TH
We have a duty of care to contact all of our lineside neighbours and would be grateful i f this
information can be shared with family and friends to ensure that no unauthorised personnel
attempt to trespass onto the railway line .
What should I do if I see someone trespassing on the railway?
Anyone trespassing on the railway is at risk of serious injury and/or death. If you see anyone on
the railway who you believe is not supposed to be there, please call 999 as soon as you can.
For non – emergencies, please text the British Transport Police on 61016.
More information
You can read more about OLE at tfw.wales/overhead -line-electrification.
More information on our No Second Chances safety campaign can be found on tfw.wales/no -
second -chances .
Our team is available 24/7 to answer your questions, so please call us on 033 33 211 202 .
Alternatively, you may contact us via WhatsApp on 07790 952507 (0700 -2000 on Monday to
Friday, and 1100 -2000 on Sunday). If you seek more information or would like the information
presented in a different format, please visit tfw.wales/contact -us.
Yours faithfully,
The Community Engagement Team at Transport f or Wales