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Thursday 22 Oct 2026

Buses to replace trains for one week as Network Rail carries out essential upgrades on Vale of Glamorgan line

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

Passengers are being advised to plan ahead as essential track renewals and maintenance takes place between Cardiff and Bridgend via Barry, this October.

Network Rail engineers will carry out a series of essential upgrades on the Vale of Glamorgan line between Sunday 25 October and Sunday 1 November.

The work will include removing and replacing track at Llantwit Major, renewing switches and crossings at Cogan - the sections of railway that allow trains to move from one track to another – and track work between Grangetown and Eastbrook.

Teams will also carry out a range of other maintenance activities while the railway is closed, making the most of the opportunity to complete several pieces of work at the same time, to minimise disruption for passengers.

The investment will help improve the safety, reliability and long-term performance of the railway for passengers and freight.

Changes to train services

To allow the work to be carried out safely and efficiently, the railway between Cardiff Central and Penarth, Barry, Barry Island and Bridgend, via the Vale of Glamorgan line, will be closed from 22:00 on Sunday 25 October until the end of service on Sunday 1 November.

During the closure:

• Buses will replace trains between Cardiff Central and Penarth.
• Buses will replace trains between Cardiff Central and Barry and Barry Island.
• Buses will replace trains between Cardiff Central and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan line.

Passengers are advised to check their journey before travelling and allow additional time, as journeys using replacement buses will take longer than usual.

Martin Taylor, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Network Rail Wales and Borders route said: “We know there is never a good time to close the railway, and we’re sorry for the disruption this work will cause.

“We’ve worked closely with Transport for Wales to make sure passengers can still travel during the closure, with replacement buses running along the affected routes.

“Closing the line for a week gives our teams the time they need to carry out several important pieces of work at locations across the Vale of Glamorgan line, rather than carrying them out separately over a number of weekends.

“This work will help us maintain a safe and reliable railway for years to come, and we’d like to thank passengers for their patience while it takes place.”

Sarah Higgins, Operations Director at Transport for Wales, said: "We are working closely with our partners at Network Rail to support passengers while these essential upgrades take place on the Vale of Glamorgan line this October.

"We recognise work of this nature is disruptive and takes place during schools' half-term, but it has been scheduled to take place when there are expected to be fewer people travelling than usual.  

"Rail replacement bus service will be in operation to keep everyone moving. We understand replacement buses mean longer journey times, and we would like to thank our passengers for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.”

Passengers should check their journeys before travelling using the Transport for Wales journey planner.