South Wales Metro: Risk of death 'increased significantly' for rail trespassers with latest upgrade
Trespassing on railway lines in South Wales is more dangerous now than it has ever been, according to Transport for Wales (TfW).
The warning comes as ‘live’ Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) has been introduced for the South Wales Metro.
Nine times out of 10, contact with OLE is fatal with the heat generated from a shock of 25,000, reaching temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Celsius.
In 2022, there were more than 1,000 recorded incidents of trespass on the Core Valleys Lines alone, which could have been fatal if the OLE was energised.
Lois Park, Head of Community and Stakeholder Engagement at TfW, said the first section of electrified OLE is a "significant milestone" for the project, but it brings "significant risks for those who choose to trespass on the network.
“The OLE system has been designed to keep people safe and as long as everyone respects the railway boundary and does not trespass onto the railway, they will be as safe," she said.
"But for those who may have gotten away with trespassing on the lines in the past, the risk of serious injury and death is now significantly higher.
The South Wales Metro is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects carried out in Wales in decades.
The upgrade will see brand new trains and more regular services on the network, with a particular emphasis on the 'Core Valley Lines' running to Cardiff.
New electric 'tram trains' will run on the lines from Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare to Cardiff - allowing four trains to run per hour on each line on weekdays.
Ms Park added: “Within the next two years the whole of the Core Valleys Lines will be electrified to allow TfW to run our brand-new trains, so we are committed to working with communities to make everyone aware of the danger.
“People should stay at least 2.75m away from the OLE at all times as you don’t have to touch it directly to be electrocuted, and take extra care when carrying objects such as umbrellas, helium balloons and fishing rods.”
TfW said it has been improving security around the network with measures such as additional fencing and extensions to safety barriers on bridges.
However, there have been a number of incidents of cable theft and damage in recent months which have resulted in severe damage to equipment and disruption to services.
Earlier this year, an empty passenger train struck damaged cables close to Llandaff station following an attempted theft, resulting in delayed and cancelled services into Cardiff for several hours.
The South Wales Metro project has faced delays and spiralling costs, with the pandemic, inflation and supply constraints blamed.
Transport for Wales is reluctant to commit to firm dates for the completion of this phase of the Metro, but is aiming for 2024.