‘Plan ahead’ warning for Christmas train travellers as rail repair work to cause closures and delays

No trains on Christmas Day and Boxing Day

There will be no train services or rail replacement buses running on 25 and 26 December. Services will also finish earlier than usual on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and start later on 27 December.

West Wales hit by engineering works

In Pembrokeshire, the line between Whitland, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven will be closed from 29 December through New Year’s Day. Families heading home after Christmas will need to find alternative routes.

Disruption for Bridgend and Valleys passengers

In Bridgend County, trains to Maesteg will be reduced to a shuttle service between Bridgend and Maesteg. Meanwhile, engineering west of Cardiff Central between 24 and 31 December means passengers from Swansea and Neath Port Talbot could face retimed trains, diversions via Ninian Park and platform changes at Cardiff Central.

January closure in Mountain Ash

The disruption continues into the New Year. From 4 to 24 January, the Aberdare line to Pontypridd will be closed while safety‑critical repairs are carried out on an embankment at Mountain Ash.

Bus services also affected

Fflecsi and TrawsCymru buses will finish earlier on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, with no services at all on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

A small festive boost

TrawsCymru’s £1 evening fare after 5pm runs throughout December, offering cheap travel for festive nights out across South West Wales.

“Planning ahead has never been more important”

Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer at Transport for Wales, said:

“With essential engineering work taking place, planning ahead has never been more important. Our dedicated teams will be working throughout the festive season to keep services running across the Wales & Borders network and get passengers safely to their destinations.”

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£6.3m accessibility upgrade officially opened at Llanelli Station

The investment, funded through the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme and delivered by Network Rail, Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government, was celebrated at a community event attended by Dame Nia Griffith MP, Llanelli Town Mayor Cllr J.E. Jones, and members of TfW’s Accessibility and Inclusion Panel.

The new facilities mean disabled passengers, parents with pushchairs and travellers with heavy luggage no longer have to trek around the level crossing to reach both platforms. The old footbridge has been removed, with the new structure offering lifts, improved ramps, better lighting, CCTV and tactile paving along the platform edges.

Kevin Collins, Project Director for Network Rail Wales & Western, said:

“We’re delighted to unveil these fantastic new lifts and the footbridge for passengers in Llanelli — improvements that have made the station more welcoming and significantly more accessible for everyone who uses it.”

Adrian Carrington, Head of Station Infrastructure at Transport for Wales, said:

“Llanelli is an important station to the Wales and Borders network and serves up to 400,000 passengers a year. The new bridge and lift facilities will enhance accessibility and create opportunities for Llanelli and the surrounding communities.”

Dame Nia Griffith MP added:

“It’s so important we now have lifts, which means that people with disabilities, parents with pushchairs and passengers with heavy luggage can access both platforms without trekking around the level crossing. I’m now keen to see Llanelli benefit from further improvements to train services as the Swansea Bay Metro project takes shape.”

Amanda Say, speaking for TfW’s Accessibility and Inclusion Panel, said:

“This project has made the station much safer by eliminating the need to use a level crossing to travel between platforms. It will greatly benefit all passengers, especially people with disabilities.”

The official opening marks a major milestone for Llanelli, but rail bosses say the work doesn’t stop here. Next up is Tenby station, where new accessible facilities are due to be delivered by December 2026.

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Union flag rail designs unveiled – South West Wales impact comes later

National launch, local reality

The UK Government today (9 December) unveiled the new Great British Railways brand, promising to bring the railways back into public ownership and end years of confusion. Ministers say the red, white and blue livery will start appearing on publicly owned operators from spring 2026.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

“This isn’t just a paint job – it represents a new railway, casting off the frustrations of the past and focused entirely on delivering a proper public service for passengers.”

She added that the reforms, combined with a freeze on rail fares, would deliver a more reliable network and put money back in passengers’ pockets.

But in South West Wales, the impact will be felt later. Great Western Railway’s contract runs until June 2028, meaning services into Swansea and Carmarthen will remain under FirstGroup until then. Meanwhile, Transport for Wales trains — which dominate the region’s routes — are run by the Welsh Government and are not part of the GBR reforms.

In short: Union Flag‑painted trains won’t be pulling into Swansea or Llanelli stations any time soon.

Flags and politics

The symbolism of flags in public spaces has already been a live issue locally. Swansea Bay News recently reported on Carmarthenshire’s battles over which banners fly above council buildings — from the Union Flag to the Red Dragon and even the European Union flag. That story revealed how something as simple as a flagpole can spark fierce debate about identity, belonging and who gets to decide what represents a community.

Today’s rail announcement drops straight into that climate. Next year’s Senedd elections are expected to be dominated by Plaid Cymru, whose nationalism is rooted in Welsh identity and independence, and Reform UK, a populist party whose nationalism is tied to British identity and anti‑immigration sentiment. Two very different visions of nationalism, but both set to shape Wales’s political future.

Against that backdrop, the sight of Union Flag trains rolling into Wales will carry more weight than just a fresh coat of paint.

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Fifth daily train to run on Heart of Wales line from December

From 14 December, passengers travelling between Swansea and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line will have access to a fifth daily train.

Transport for Wales is adding a new midday service in both directions, increasing the number of trains from four to five per day. The Heart of Wales line runs through Llanelli, Llandeilo, Llandrindod Wells and Knighton, connecting rural towns with Swansea and Shrewsbury.

The change is part of the UK-wide December rail timetable update. Journey planners have already been updated, and passengers can now check times for travel after 14 December.

Funding and political agreement

The extra service is being funded through the Welsh Government’s 2025–26 Budget deal with Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds.

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said:

“The Heart of Wales line provides a spectacular and scenic journey for tourists but is also a vital link for rural communities in Mid Wales, so this will be welcome news for residents and visitors alike.”

“Railway connections are vital in driving prosperity. These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services across Wales and the Borders.”

“This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.”

Transport for Wales said the new service would give passengers more flexibility for day trips and essential journeys, and help support the local tourism economy.

What it means for passengers

The new train will run midday every day, giving people more choice when planning journeys.

Passengers are being advised to check journey planners for travel after 14 December to see the updated timetable.

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Swansea MS meets First Bus to discuss future of city’s transport network

South Wales West MS Tom Giffard has met with FirstGroup representatives at the Senedd to discuss the future of Swansea’s bus services, including plans for electrification, franchising, and the impact of recent strikes.

The meeting comes as First Bus rolls out a £350 million national investment to electrify its fleet, converting diesel vehicles to electric and introducing new carbon‑neutral buses across Wales.

“Reliable, timely public transport”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Giffard said he welcomed First Bus’s commitment to improving services:

“It was great to meet some of the team from First Bus to talk through their commitment to helping provide a timely, reliable public transport system, as well as their huge investment into a fleet of brand‑new carbon‑neutral buses across Wales, many of which will be coming to Swansea soon.

“I sincerely hope the Welsh Government engage with First Bus to enable them to help build the services people across Swansea deserve.”

He also raised concerns about the impact of the default 20mph speed limit on bus routes and journey times, calling for greater investment in roads and junction upgrades along the M4 at Ynysforgan and Penllergaer.

On social media, Mr Giffard shared a light‑hearted post after trying out one of the new buses himself:

“Good to get behind the wheel of a new First bus coming to a Swansea street near you very soon. But don’t worry, hopefully the drivers won’t still be on strike by then, so I won’t be the one behind the wheel!”

First Cymru: Net zero ambitions

Rob Pymm, Commercial Director for First Bus in Cymru, said the company was pleased to hear Mr Giffard’s support for their net zero ambitions.

“We were pleased to meet Tom Giffard MS this week and hear he is supporting our moves to a net zero fleet with £350million invested so far nationally to electrify our depots and buses.

“The arrival of electric buses in Swansea will depend on franchise plans by Transport for Wales (TfW) and Welsh Government, and we’ll continue to work closely with TfW to lend our expertise in this area to help ensure our net‑zero ambitions arrive in the country. We already operate eight electric TrawsCymru buses on the growing T1 service as part of our partnership with TfW.”

Looking ahead

While the timeline for electric buses in Swansea will depend on Welsh Government franchising decisions, both First Cymru and Mr Giffard emphasised the importance of building a transport system that is affordable, reliable and sustainable.

Mr Giffard said he would continue to advocate for improvements and invited Swansea residents to share feedback on issues they want raised.

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