Charles drives tram-train on birthday visit to a wet Wales

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.

- ELEANOR STOREY and ROD MINCHIN

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 £1bn 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’ former Welsh home.