While I doubt it’s enough to justify it here, rail’s selling point for an airport connection ( or similar) is that expression “permanent way”. Booking a flight 6 months or more out, I’m much more likely to trust that a rail link will still be there than a bus!Is there any realistic likelihood of an airport link ever being developed, though? The level of usage wouldn't justify it currently, and the last decade doesn't give cause for optimism. Even before the pandemic, the airport's losses were on an increasing trend. The airport bus is notorious for its subsidy (which has fallen since launch, but is still high compared with other services), which doesn't imply there's a substantive market for rail - or at least, not one that would justify substantial capital investment.
We just don’t know what will happen in the future - hence the reason why I say that land over which a loop in and out of the Airport should not be built upon. When they get the half hourly train service up and running on the VOG Coast Line, I really do wonder whether or not having the T9 bus link from Cardiff would be needed - just keep the bus link from Rhoose station to the Terminal.Is there any realistic likelihood of an airport link ever being developed, though? The level of usage wouldn't justify it currently, and the last decade doesn't give cause for optimism. Even before the pandemic, the airport's losses were on an increasing trend. The airport bus is notorious for its subsidy (which has fallen since launch, but is still high compared with other services), which doesn't imply there's a substantive market for rail - or at least, not one that would justify substantial capital investment.
Unfortunately, planning inspectors have over ruled the local Council in Somerset who refused the planned expansion of Bristol Airport. The Welsh Government objected to further expansion at Bristol Airport stating that plenty of spare capacity existed at Cardiff Airport. However, the Welsh Government are not prepared to build decent road links to the Airport and are indeed going to make M4 J33 clog up even more by having another business park on the north side of it when it really needs a flyover with the A4232.
"A new connection from the south side of Cardiff Central across Callaghan Square will... be introduced to connect with the Bay Line, serving the Butetown community, employment at Capital Quarter, and the new Atlantic Wharf development, with a new interchange being established at Pierhead Street,"
More from the link above.The latest update on the TfW website says: "The first Metro extensions will be from Aberdare to Hirwaun, utilising the old freight line that used to serve the Tower Colliery."
It adds: "We hope to open up new and improved stations on the Core Valleys Network including Treforest Estate and Gabalfa and will look to increase frequencies on the City, Coryton, Maesteg and Ebbw Valley lines."
A new train station, Cardiff Parkway, is planned for St Mellons in east Cardiff, with journeys to Cardiff Central or Newport in just seven minutes. TfW hopes it will be built by 2024, and will run eight trains an hour to Cardiff and Newport.
You could well be right - whilst it has always been on the plans for the Central to Bay link and hopefully the Hirwaun extension, nothing has happened thus far. No wires have been erected, no new stations such as Ely Mill have opened and I don't think any stations have been modernised - such as having new toilets. Even at Cardiff Central, the toilet provision is not what you would expect at a major city. We do know that work is in progress at Taffs Wells depot site and work has been done on passing loops in the upper valleys. I know it is a massive project and I dare say work has taken place which is not immediately visible to the public, but I thought things might have progressed more by this stage.Not to sound like a total cynic (and to involve politics), however, I wonder if these announcements have anything to do with the local elections coming up in May.
It would be great to see some more pictures of work done or underway if any down in South Wales has the ability/capacity to do this.You could well be right - whilst it has always been on the plans for the Central to Bay link and hopefully the Hirwaun extension, nothing has happened thus far. No wires have been erected, no new stations such as Ely Mill have opened and I don't think any stations have been modernised - such as having new toilets. Even at Cardiff Central, the toilet provision is not what you would expect at a major city. We do know that work is in progress at Taffs Wells depot site and work has been done on passing loops in the upper valleys. I know it is a massive project and I dare say work has taken place which is not immediately visible to the public, but I thought things might have progressed more by this stage.
More from the link above.
Not to sound like a total cynic (and to involve politics), however, I wonder if these announcements have anything to do with the local elections coming up in May.
It's one of those glass half empty / glass half full kind of things.I don't think you sound like a cynic at all!
"Full steam ahead for Aberdare-Hirwaun link" in March 2011 (just before the 2011 Assembly elections)
WG launches Metro poster scheme in late 2015 (just before the 2016 Assembly election)
And don't get me started on the Brackla station site which actually had a turf cutting ceremony 21 years ago next month
It's one of those glass half empty / glass half full kind of things.
Sure, it's easy to point at things that haven't happened but there are plenty of things that have progressed over the same time period.
The simple fact is that some things happen and some things don't while other take an inordinate time to deliver.
This weekend, for instance, saw the opening of the Caernarfon & Bontnewydd by-pass, a road first promised in the 1930s long before devolution or even the establisment of the Welsh Office.
Aparantly brackla station been delayed due to network rail saying they can’t fit the station in the current timetable. I’m sure they could now with the superior acceleration of the class 231’sI don't think you sound like a cynic at all!
"Full steam ahead for Aberdare-Hirwaun link" in March 2011 (just before the 2011 Assembly elections)
WG launches Metro poster scheme in late 2015 (just before the 2016 Assembly election)
And don't get me started on the Brackla station site which actually had a turf cutting ceremony 21 years ago next month
Not a great example as Caernarfon had what is probably the most expensive inner relief road in Wales for a town of comparable size built in the 1970sThis weekend, for instance, saw the opening of the Caernarfon & Bontnewydd by-pass, a road first promised in the 1930s long before devolution or even the establisment of the Welsh Office.
Although I'm cautious about how long this may actually take, it's the first time it's been mentioned by TfW, previously being a Cardiff Council aspiration. Good to see some progress of sorts.Media Wales is reporting that the rail link across Central Square to link with the Bay branch is moving forward.
New rail line planned for central Cardiff
The link will go across Callaghan Square and serve Butetown, Capital Quarter and Atlantic Wharfwww.walesonline.co.uk
Think they moving it again as the previous proposed new station stopped future extensionsAlthough I'm cautious about how long this may actually take, it's the first time it's been mentioned by TfW, previously being a Cardiff Council aspiration. Good to see some progress of sorts.
Has anyone heard anything about Cardiff Bay station? TfW had said they wouldn't build the new station at The Flourish if it was likely to be extended, which looks more likely now.
(We should be seeing the new TfW branding become more widespread as a result of this, font fans!)Transport for Wales (TfW) is searching for contractors to join its £300M framework for works on railway stations around the country.
The Stations Modifications and Infrastructure Enhancements Framework is divided into seven lots. In each lot the award criteria is weighted 60% towards the responses to qualitative questions and 40% towards price.
The seven lots are:
Lot Number
Lot Title
Works will include (but not limited to):
1 Pan Wales >£500,000 Non-Complex Station Projects
- Branding: wayfinding, signage·
- Facilities: shelters, seating, waiting rooms, bins, planters, WCs
- Staff facilities: minor building and ancillary works
- Sustainability: Photovaltic panels, rainwater harvesting, LED lighting
- Social/Commercial development: Repurpose redundant space for community use
- Car park and active travel: Provision of additional car parking spaces, provision of active travel facilities, EV charging points
- Access ramps and accessible facilities
2 North Wales <£500,000 Non-complex station projects (As above) 3 South and west <£500,000 Non-complex station projects (As above) 4 Pan Wales station information and security systems projects
- CCTV renewal / upgrades
- Public address system renewal / upgrades
- Customer information system renewal / upgrades
5 Core Valley Lines structure interventions
- Condition surveys of structures to establish integrity
- Option selection report for remedial work to structures outline and detailed design for structures
- Implementation works to rectify structures:
- steelwork repairs
- grit blasting
- painting
- concrete repairs
- bearing repair and replacement
- pier and abutment repairs
- other repairs to lineside structures
- extension/repair to undertrack culverts
- associated ancillary and temporary work
- Customer information system renewal / upgrades
6 Core Valley Lines major station works
- Provision of new stations (excluding trackwork):
- enabling works and site clearance
- new platforms and ramps
- new station facilities
- Expansion / refurbishment of new stations:
- enabling works and site clearance
- new platforms and ramps
- new station facilities
- minor building works and re-purposing of structures
7 TfW infrastructure owner works
- Works to ensure the operation of the structure
- structures
- earthworks and drainage
- track
- access point and road rail access points
- fencing
- buildings and property
- vegetation management
TfW envisions 21 as the maximum number of participants on the framework. The contracts will run for 48 months with an optional 12 month extension.
The deadline to apply for the framework is 23 March 2022. Interest in the framework can be recorded on the Sell2Wales website.
This makes me think that GBR branding will not be distributed in Wales, then?This is only partly related to the Metro works, but it's worth including nonetheless. https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...for-300m-welsh-stations-framework-23-02-2022/
(We should be seeing the new TfW branding become more widespread as a result of this, font fans!)
Only on the ex-GWR, Avanti and CrossCountryt trainsThis makes me think that GBR branding will not be distributed in Wales, then?
Maybe not that surprising, given that Westminster decided to implement a new rail brand after the Welsh (and Scottish) Government had come up with their own, and apparently without discussing it beforehand.This makes me think that GBR branding will not be distributed in Wales, then?
Sounds like bad news for Rhymney and suggestions the fleet could be stabled at the top end of the line. This sounds very last minute so I wonder what, if anything, has changed?The vale of Glamorgan council have sold the railway depot and the tourist railway at Barry to TFW however the tourist railway will still be allowed to use it. This for the stabling etc of the class 756s.
Hopefully it means Barry island station can be improved including allowing mainline services to use more of the platform.
Link to the article below:
Hopefully, though the proposal outlined here doesn't include any specifics (I note the local councillor's concerns about noise to the nearby housing development).Good news for Barry Island station though.
It's only a short journey to Sims....unless some of them can be used for new stone traffic flows. If they're ex-EWS wagons, they will only have buckeye couplers and no buffers and therefore will be of no interest to other operators.What is going to happen to all the redundant coal wagons currently stored along the tracks, I wonder?
They've been quick, haven't they?! Is that looking north or south btw?Some tangible electrification work in the form of overhead wire gantries at Treforest, gone up over the last couple of weeks.
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