We’ve all been there, stood at one of four dreaded rail platforms, in Barry, crossing our fingers that there’s either a spare seat available or, at least, not stood directly in front of the toilet facilities while traveling to Cardiff for work in the morning.
But as of this week, Transport for Wales has brought its Metro transformation to Barry.
This includes upgraded trains and carriages and an extra service added per hour from Barry to Bargoed or Bridgend to Bargoed, via Rhoose.
The new timetables for rail services is expected to run until December 14, 2024.
This reporter tried out the new service, and spoke to commuters about the upgrades.
Liam Williams, 35, from Barry expressed gratitude on his way to the office job.
He said: ‘’I hope this is the start of, actually, enjoying the commute to work. It has been an uncomfortable start to my work day for years so it's great to finally see some change.”
The train carriages, initially introduced in 2023 on the Rhymney route, are the quietest we have seen them for 8am on a Tuesday morning.
The train carriages include screens that show passengers which way they will need to step off the train as well as an, up to date, stop timetable.
These upgrades also include announcements for every stop. This will likely stop passengers from missing their stops in the near future.
The Barry & District team aren't the only ones excited about the change. Vale of Glamorgan Council leader Lis Burnett was quick to check out the trains too, posting on social media platform X.
Double capacity and better quality trains. Might not solve all the issues but will make a big difference to many Vale residents who have been packed like sardines or left on station platforms for far too long.
— Lis Burnett🏴🇺🇦🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@lisburnett) June 2, 2024
"Double capacity and better quality trains," she said "Might not solve all the issues but will make a big difference to many Vale residents who have been packed like sardines or left on station platforms for far too long."
Are you excited to board the new trains? Let us know what you think of the upgrade in the comments or by email.
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