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Cardiff City Deal Releases £734m for South Wales Metro

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LNW-GW Joint

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There appears to be a deal between the Treasury and Welsh Government to provide £734m funding for the South Wales Metro, within an overall £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region deal.

from the BBC:
◾The South Wales Metro - to include the £500m Valleys electrification programme - longer trains, faster buses and some light rail
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-35803351
http://gov.wales/newsroom/finance1/2016/160315-city-deal/?lang=en

Further details awaited (like which routes are heavy or light rail).
The BBC item is more informative than WG's, and even has a fly-through video of a possible network and new trains, including an extension to Abertillery.
All that is needed now is for Network Rail to dust off its shovels for the electrification... ;)
 
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Mikey C

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I'm sure George will mention it in his budget statement today!
 

Mikey C

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NR are electrifying the line. TfL had the money, and were willing to close the line for the summer to do it.

But then NR aren't doing the actual physical work, which will be done by local construction firm J Murphy & Sons Limited, who I'm pretty sure have never done this sort of electrification work before.
 

Solaris

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The metro plans are still broad brush however by saying existing heavy rail corridors will be electrified are we ruling out converting them to light rail?

Can't imagine how it could be anything other than light rail on the valley lines
 

Groningen

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This seems to be the layout:
English-Metro-Map-ONLINEAJPG.jpg
 
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This seems to be the layout:
English-Metro-Map-ONLINEAJPG.jpg

That graphic is missing one key part that's included on this one: http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/160224-potential-metro-map-image-en.gif

Illustration of potential metro network

I'm amazed there hasn't been more scrutiny of this. As things stand there are no firm plans for anything.



--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hopefully that's a sign that Hirwaun station will finally be re-opened.

Indeed, it's been a long time coming: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/aberdare-to-hirwaun-rail-line-set-reopen-1847568

I do hope Wales gets a rail/transport Minister who gives a **** after May.
 
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Broseley man

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Quote from the above

The Cynon Valley scheme has been included in the Welsh Assembly Government’s 2011-12 capital programme.

Across the Valleys rail network, £2.96m will be spent on enhancements to the Cardiff Valleys rail infrastructure.


There are some odd numbers here!
 

Class 170101

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TfL is managing to electrify the GOBLIN line despite the NR problems

They have yet to start work. I am sceptical to say the least and indeed what is happening to diverted freight traffic during the closure.
 

Philip Phlopp

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They have yet to start work. I am sceptical to say the least and indeed what is happening to diverted freight traffic during the closure.

It's well underway now - vegetation clearance has been done over the last few weeks and other prep going on.
 

gareth950

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So the local media (well, the South Wales Echo and it's sister website Wales Online) seem to think that the valley lines will be converted to trams.

So will it be possible to run trams on the same network as heavy freight will still be operating?
Cardiff --> VOG via Barry I'm presuming can't be converted to trams due to freight running also and the fact it's a main line diversionary route when the SWML between CDF --> BGN is closed.
So this means the end of through trains from Barry up through the valleys? Journeys from Barry and the VOG terminating at Central will be a big inconvenience.
Dates for when the 'Metro' is due to be completed are being given as 2022 - 2023. Which is a bit awkward considering the 2020 PRM mods deadline. As yet none of the valley lines stock has had any PRM moods and I don't think ATW have any plans to carry out any before 2018. Either Pacers or D-trains will be needed to keep running on the valleys until then, but will it be financially viable to have e-Pacers or D-trains running for just 3 - 4 years?
What's the chance of current valley lines stock being granted 'pardons' (sorry I don't know the right word) to keep going beyond 2020 with no PRM modifications until the Metro is complete?
Also, hasn't NR just renewed all of the signalling north of Queen St up the valleys in preparation for what they thought would be HR electrification of the valleys? If it's converted to trams surely all the money spent on the new signalling will have been wasted!

As ever, the Metro project is throwing up more questions than answers and considering that Valley lines electrification was first announced 4 years ago and as yet nothing has been confirmed and no work yet started, I won't believe anything is going to happen until there are diggers in the ground!

I fear there won't be any solid answers to these questions until well into the next Welsh Government's first year in office.
 
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-36650473

Up to £600m is due to be spent on the first phase of the Metro until 2020.

It is likely to be a mix of light rail, trams, improved trains and faster buses in Cardiff and the valleys. The eventual cost has been estimated at being between £2bn and £4bn.

£600m over the net three and a half years - unless if missed something, we still don't know what on!
 
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