South Wales Metro programme wins major UK infrastructure awards

The £1.5 billion Core Valley Lines Transformation Programme has received two major honors at the British Construction & Infrastructure Awards: the flagship Sir John Armitt Prize and the Transport Project Award.

A collaboration between Amey Infrastructure Wales and Transport for Wales, the project is modernizing 170km of railways across the South Wales Valleys. Key improvements include electrification of the Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Treherbert, Cardiff, and City lines, as well as the implementation of new digital signaling to replace century-old systems.

The program also features £800m in new electric and trimodal trains, station upgrades, and the construction of two new stations. These enhancements aim to increase capacity, reliability, and accessibility, allowing for more frequent services and reducing the need for passengers to change trains in Cardiff. Judges described the initiative as “a benchmark project for the challenge ahead for Great British Railways.”