Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes (Welsh: Llwybrau Lleol y Cymoedd a Chaerdydd) (formerly Valley Lines) is the network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff, Wales. It includes lines within the city itself, the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys.^[1]

v t e Railway lines in the Welsh valleys
Legend
Hirwaun Treherbert Rhymney Ynyswen Ebbw Vale Town Aberdare Merthyr Tydfil Treorchy Pontlottyn Cwmbach Ebbw Vale Parkway Ton Pentre Pentre-bach Ystrad Rhondda Tir-Phil Fernhill Troed-y-rhiw Llwynypia Cwm Mountain Ash Merthyr Vale Tonypandy Brithdir Dinas Rhondda Bargoed Penrhiwceiber Abertillery Porth Quakers Yard Trehafod Llanhilleth Abercynon North Gilfach Fargoed Abercynon Pengam Pontypridd Hengoed Treforest Newbridge Treforest Estate Ystrad Mynach Taff's Well Llanbradach Coryton Energlyn & Churchill Park Whitchurch Crosskeys Rhiwbina Aber Radyr Caerphilly Birchgrove Risca & Pontymister Ty Glas Lisvane & Thornhill Llandaf Llanishen Cathays Heath Low / High Level Danescourt Rogerstone Cardiff Queen Street Pye Corner Fairwater Newport Waun-Gron Park Welsh Marches line Cardiff Bay Cardiff Central Severn Tunnel Junction River Taff South Wales Main Line to Bristol Parkway Grangetown Caldicot Ninian Park Chepstow Dingle Road Cogan Penarth Eastbrook Wales England border Dinas Powys Lydney Cadoxton Gloucester Barry Docks Cheltenham Spa Pontyclun Barry Llanharan Barry Island Pencoed Rhoose Cardiff International Airport Llantwit Major Bridgend South Wales Main Line to Swansea Wildmill Sarn Tondu Garth Maesteg (Ewenny Road) Maesteg

This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: It needs more explanation of the South Wales Metro. (June 2022)

The services are currently operated by Transport for Wales Rail. In total, it serves 81 stations in six unitary authority areas: 20 in the city of Cardiff, 11 in the Vale of Glamorgan, 25 in Rhondda Cynon Taf, 15 in Caerphilly, 8 in Bridgend and 5 in Merthyr Tydfil.^[2]

Services on these routes are provided by Class 150 DMUs and Class 231 Diesel–electric multiple units. They are typically end-to-end, in that they run from one branch terminus, through Cardiff Queen Street station, to another branch terminus, e.g. from Pontypridd to Barry Island.

The major hubs of the network are Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central. Other hubs are Pontypridd, Bridgend and Barry.^[3]

A stretch of the Vale of Glamorgan Line, on which passenger services were closed under the Beeching Axe, re-opened for passenger service, with services from Cardiff Central to Bridgend, via Barry, Rhoose Cardiff Intl. Airport and Llantwit Major. These services were originally advertised to start in April 2005, but commenced on 12 June 2005.^[4][5] Previously services only went as far as Barry.

On 28 March 2020, ownership of the lines between Cardiff and Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Coryton, Rhymney and Cwmbargoed (the "Core Valley Lines") was transferred from Network Rail to Transport for Wales, who leased them to operator AKIL.^[6]

On 16 July 2012 the UK Government announced plans to extend the electrification of the network at a cost of £350 million. This was at the same time of the announcement of electrification of the South Wales Main Line from Cardiff to Swansea. This would also see investment in new trains and continued improvements to stations.^[7]

The investment will require new trains and should result in reduced journey times and cheaper maintenance of the network. Work was expected to start between 2014 and 2019, but has since been pushed back to between 2019 and 2024.^[8]

The colours used below are from the official network map (see External links). Stations in bold are major interchanges for the network.^[2]

The following lines also serve Cardiff and the South Wales Valleys but are not considered part of the network by Transport for Wales and use more "mainline" rolling stock (currently Class 170 units).^{[citation needed]}

• South East Wales Metro
• Rail transport in Cardiff
• List of Valley Lines stations
• List of railway stations in Wales