New railway station at Energlyn to meet Caerphilly demand

The new station at Energlyn will have step-free access and two platforms

Growing demand for trains in Caerphilly has prompted plans to open a new £5.2m station north of the town centre.

Building work will start later this year on a station to serve the growing community around Energlyn and Churchill Park.

It will provide direct trains to Cardiff and Rhymney up to twice an hour when it opens at the end of the year.

It is part of wider plans to improve Valley Lines services ahead of the electrification of the network by 2019.

The station - to be built between Aber and Llanbradach - also aims to ease congestion on roads, according to Network Rail.

"This proposal is driven by our plans to transform the railway in Wales and, when delivered, will mark a huge improvement for Energlyn and Churchill Park," said route director Mark Langman.

"Caerphilly county borough has seen a steady increase in passenger demand in recent years and the new station will cater for this growth and encourage sustainable travel, whilst also helping to improve the local economy."

Economy and Transport Minister Edwina Hart added: "Investing in our transport infrastructure is vital as we look to improve the economic competitiveness of Wales."

The new station will have two platforms and step-free access, along with car parking, CCTV and real-time train information.

The Welsh European Funding Office has helped to fund the station, which has been developed jointly by the Welsh government, Network Rail, Caerphilly council, South East Wales Transport Authority (Sewta) and Arriva Trains Wales (ATW).