King drives tram-train as part of his birthday celebrations

The King celebrated his 77th birthday by taking the controls of a tram-train as he officially opened a new rail depot in South Wales.

Charles was in Taff’s Well, near Cardiff, to unveil formally the South Wales Metro Depot as part of a series of engagements to mark his birthday.

He briefly took the driver’s seat to take the tram around the depot before meeting Transport for Wales staff who have worked to deliver the flagship project.

The purpose-built depot is located on the former Garth Works industrial estate to maintain a fleet of 36 tram-trains – creating 400 jobs – that will operate across the South Wales area.

Backed by more than £1 billion of investment, the project which will launch next year includes electrifying 170km of track and accessibility improvements at many stations.

The tram-train that the King drove was officially named Myddfai, after the small Carmarthenshire village nestled in the Brecon Beacons, near Charles’s former Welsh home.

To mark the visit and Charles’s birthday, he was presented with an old piece of rail which had been made into bookends by Amey, who constructed the depot, and a Swiss cow bell from rail rolling stock manufacturer Stadler who built the fleet.

James Price, chief executive of Transport for Wales, said: “It’s been a pleasure to host King Charles at Taff’s Well and for him to tour our South Wales Metro depot.

“With electrified railways, brand-new trains and a state-of-the-art depot, the South Wales Metro is transforming the way people travel in the region, and most importantly connecting people and communities to opportunities.

“We’re in the final stages of electrifying 170 km of track and have already introduced our first electric trains onto the network, alongside pay as you go ticketing for our customers.

“We’re excited to start introducing the brand new tram-trains next year, as we continue to transform travel and attract people to use public transport.”

Earlier, the King and Queen had joined a reception at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil to celebrate his birthday.

The event was attended by Welsh celebrities and TV personalities including reality TV star Liam Reardon, Gavin And Stacey writer Ruth Jones, and TikTok creator Lewis Leigh.

The guests sang Happy Birthday to the King before he cut his cake, a replica of Cyfarthfa Castle made with vanilla sponge, with jam and buttercream.

The Queen later visited the nearby Cyfarthfa Primary School to mark Poetry Together Day, while the King travelled to Taff’s Wells to open the rail depot.

The King’s birthday this year comes after a number of high-profile personal and public events that were both difficult and historic.

Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early last year and is continuing his regular treatment programme, believed to be a weekly session.

There has been the scandal over his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York.

Andrew’s links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein eventually led to Charles stripping him of his titles, putting an end to his public life.

Charles also paid a historic visit to the Vatican, where he became the first monarch since the Reformation to pray alongside the Pope in a public service.

Charles and Pope Leo XIV made history in what was seen as a symbolic moment of unity for Anglicans and Roman Catholics across the globe.

He also hosted US President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, for a second state visit in September.