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South Wales 'Metro' updates

Tomos y Tanc

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There was statement on the various Welsh Metro projects in the senedd today. There wasn't much meat on on it but here it is.

Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. This Government’s ambition to see a more prosperous, greener and equal Wales is one I hope we all aspire to in this Senedd. I'd also expect everyone to share our ambition for a modern transport system in Wales, a transport system that plays its part in contributing to three ambitions: delivering economic growth in rural and urban areas; encouraging people to use more sustainable forms of transport in order to minimise environmental impacts; and providing efficient and affordable journeys accessible to all.

As we know, our railway infrastructure in Wales has been continuously and systematically starved of investment. Unsurprisingly, as a consequence, Wales has some of the UK’s slowest inter-city rail speeds, the lowest level of rail ridership, and the highest percentage of car journeys. This is simply not sustainable.

Our metro programmes in the south east, in the south west, and the north will deliver the necessary changes through a customer-focused, integrated, accessible and sustainable multi-modal network across all regions. Trains, buses and the active travel network will work together to connect people and places efficiently and effectively for work, life, and leisure.

To deliver this, however, we require Welsh Government to be in control of all the levers necessary to deliver a fully integrated transport system, and despite the constraints of the current rail ecosystem, in which the UK Government defines priorities and allocates investment according to their own priorities, the Welsh Government has nonetheless funded and progressed the ambitious south Wales metro programme to develop the economy and support regeneration across the Cardiff capital region.

And today, I wish to reaffirm our commitment to our metros and set out our plans to develop similarly ambitious programmes for south-west Wales and Swansea bay, north Wales, and further expansion in the Cardiff capital region. These will build on the current metro principles, but now with an even greater focus on connectivity, decarbonisation, and integration as we develop future phases.

Following the recent triggering of the transfer of ownership and responsibility of the core Valleys Lines, the next phase of this ambitious project will deliver electrification, new trains, faster and more frequent services, and provide the foundation for further and necessary expansion. This ambitious programme to address climate change, improve air quality, and relieve congestion clearly demonstrates what is possible when powers and funding are devolved and decentralised.

Now, until full rail devolution is secured, we need the UK Government to improve wider network capability, capacity and resilience including upgrading our mainlines to enable faster, more frequent, and more reliable services, alongside measures to address network bottlenecks such as Ebbw Valley and junction, between Wrexham and Chester, Cardiff west, and Swansea station.

Now, the spine of our metro in north Wales will be a major upgrade of the Borderlands line to offer turn-up-and-go services from Wrexham, and through working with Merseytravel, deliver services all the way through to Liverpool. We will develop our key hubs, for example at Shotton, to provide an interchange between rail services, as well as integrated bus services across our regional hubs. To effectively deliver integrated, attractive services across the north Wales coast and the Borderlands line, we need new all-stop commuter services to complement faster long distance services running on an upgraded, electrified mainline.

In west Wales and Swansea bay, Transport for Wales has worked with the region to develop an initial package of measures, including new long distance and local metro rail services along the currently under-utilised Swansea District Line, offering reduced journey times from west Wales to Swansea, Cardiff, and across the border.

The new metro services would, via new rail infrastructure, and a number of new stations and strategic park-and-ride sites, connect the urban areas of Swansea and Neath directly to both Swansea High Street and Neath stations, encouraging further development at those locations. Now, we've also progressed work to enhance and expand bus services in the Swansea bay region, which will be integrated with this rail programme. Subject to further business case development, this will be a rolling programme that will start to deliver benefits across the region within the next two years.

In advance of any changes to the devolution settlement in respect of rail infrastructure, I would like the UK Government to work with us to accelerate this programme. We wish to explore more innovative approaches to the application of traditional rail standards to assess the potential for new and/or reopened lines.

Our forthcoming bus legislation will offer us opportunities to significantly enhance and expand our bus services, filling in current gaps in our rail network and offering increased frequency, integration and speeds to our regional hubs. We will assess the potential for segregated busways and public transport priority measures to support further network expansion. These public transport networks will be critical to supporting regional and local economic development and regeneration. It will also allow us to develop places designed around communities.

Our climate change obligations dictate that we progress these ambitious proposals. We need to ensure that decision making on metros in Wales is fully integrated, of course, with regional planning and with wider investment in infrastructure and service delivery. The ongoing development and application of sophisticated transport, land use, and economic models covering the whole of Wales will provide the necessary analytical foundation for these developments. They'll also support our economic and regeneration interventions at key interchanges and at smaller community hubs across the country. In doing so, we want to work with local authorities to locate more of our public services and operations to hub locations connected to these networks.

We're already working on proposals to co-locate more activities near Wrexham General and our plans for Deeside Industrial Park station will offer viable public transport options for commuters. This approach could also have major impacts in Newport and Swansea where commuting contributes to daily peak-hour congestion on the M4.

Now, we're also working to embed the development and delivery of metros across the country to develop local supply chains, to diversify expertise, and expand skills. I have asked TfW to direct effort to develop and deliver our metros and will share further details of progress with Assembly Members.

Finally, Dirprwy Llywydd, to be clear, to deliver these programmes and to address decades of underinvestment by the UK Government in our rail network, we need ownership and funding of rail infrastructure. Wales has, for too long, been low on the list of Westminster's priorities for enhancing the rail network in England and in Wales. Rail devolution will enable us to put this right, building on the recent rail franchise award and infrastructure ownership, which are already delivering results. We look forward to the imminent Williams review and the White Paper to allow us to reform our railways and to create the fully integrated public transport network that Wales richly deserves. The effects of a decade of austerity have been felt across all regions and sectors. Plans by the UK Government to increase spend on infrastructure in this Parliament are very welcome, and Wales's share of this will amount to some £3.7 billion. With this funding, and a fair share of the HS2 spend over the next 10 years, we will deliver our plans to transform urban and inter-city connectivity in Wales.
 
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Meerkat

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A lot of blaming Westminster there.
Must be tempting just to sign the whole lot over to the WG with a cheery “ok...show us how easy it is....”
 

Cardiff123

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A lot of blaming Westminster there.
Must be tempting just to sign the whole lot over to the WG with a cheery “ok...show us how easy it is....”
I'm sure that is exactly what the Welsh Govt wants. UK govt won't do it however because it will involve the necessary increase in Welsh Govt funding via the block grant from the Treasury as a result, and Wales would then also have to get increase in rail infrastructure funding as a result of HS2, due to Barnett formula consequentials. If UK govt keeps control of NR in Wales, no increase in rail Infrastructure funding in Wales as a result of HS2 is needed.

It is ridiculous that Wales is the only devolved govt in the UK not to have full control over its rail infrastructure
 

Oscar46016

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The problem for the City Line and Coryton branch is that there will be no increase in service frequency on these lines, they are staying at 2tph, and the City Line will be getting tram-trains that will be coming down from Aberdare/Pontypridd no doubt already full.

Isn't the problem with the city line that there is single track for part of it?
 

daodao

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No, only the Coryton branch - and that used to be double-track too.
It would be possible to reinstate double track in parts to create dynamic loops, e.g. between Rhiwbeina and the pedestrian crossing east of Whitchurch station, to enable a more frequent service. However, parts of the trackbed have been built on, e.g. there is a row of garages (one of which I once owned) built on the former trackbed just west of that pedestrian crossing.
 

toby_farman

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I've had this notion many times - instead of 36 "tram-trains" get 36 3 car class 755! (with toilets)

Cancel "smart electrification" of the Merthyr line and Rhondda line and simply electrify (standard NR electrification) and double track the cardiff bay line!

The trains could switch to electric at Queen street and even terminate at a planned new cardiff bay station with two (or three?) platforms.

Of course Loudoun square could still be constructed!

Can somebody please explain why this isn't going to happen?
 

Bald Rick

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I've had this notion many times - instead of 36 "tram-trains" get 36 3 car class 755! (with toilets)

Cancel "smart electrification" of the Merthyr line and Rhondda line and simply electrify (standard NR electrification) and double track the cardiff bay line!

The trains could switch to electric at Queen street and even terminate at a planned new cardiff bay station with two (or three?) platforms.

Of course Loudoun square could still be constructed!

Can somebody please explain why this isn't going to happen?

Because it would be a lot more expensive.
 

toby_farman

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Also, because the trams have already been ordered.

Ironic, that the coryton line that goes 8.8 km from cardiff is getting proper trains with high floors, but the merthyr line that goes 48.7 km from cardiff is getting stupid incompatible low floor trams with no toilets!

<(
 

krus_aragon

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Whats more expensive about getting conventional rolling stock?
The full-standard electrification of the lines to Merthyr and Rhondda, to allow the conventional rolling stock to get there.

The "smart" of the smart electrification is based on not electrifying the expensive, complicated bits (such as low overbridges).
 

toby_farman

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The full-standard electrification of the lines to Merthyr and Rhondda, to allow the conventional rolling stock to get there.

The "smart" of the smart electrification is based on not electrifying the expensive, complicated bits (such as low overbridges).


I suggested not electrifiying those lines, use bi-mode trains which switch onto electric at cardiff queen street (755s/756s)
 

Brissle Girl

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Ironic, that the coryton line that goes 8.8 km from cardiff is getting proper trains with high floors, but the merthyr line that goes 48.7 km from cardiff is getting stupid incompatible low floor trams with no toilets!

<(
About 37km actually. What do they need to be compatible with? There’s no intention for them to run anywhere else.

I won’t rise to the toilet debate, as it’s been done to death many times before.
 

Brissle Girl

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I suggested not electrifiying those lines, use bi-mode trains which switch onto electric at cardiff queen street (755s/756s)
So not electrifying the bulk of the network then (bear in mind there will be virtually no electrification south of points just north of Queen St.)? Hardly a good way to build a carbon minimal system fit for the next 30 years, and means no performance gain on the inclines all the way up the valleys.

It’s all ordered now and we’ve chewed this over in depth when the announcement was made. If you start at the first page and read the next 103 you’ll see both sides of the debate.
 

krus_aragon

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I suggested not electrifiying those lines, use bi-mode trains which switch onto electric at cardiff queen street (755s/756s)
Ah, I misinterpreted your post as suggesting electrifying Merthyr/Rhymney, and doubling the Bay. Sorry.

As @Brissle Girl suggested, that would leave a large proportion of the network unelectrified. I'd wonder if it'd be enough of a proportion to bother with bi-modes, or just stick with diesel engines.
 

Tom Quinne

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“Smart” read cheap...trams have to happen whether it what’s needed or not as some doctor in with the WAG said so, to cancel that now would be a huge kipper in the face.

We can only hope the project is delayed enough for a change of government next year ? and the whole cheap bargain basement project is cancelled in favour of doing a fully compatible full flat job.
 

edwin_m

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“Smart” read cheap...trams have to happen whether it what’s needed or not as some doctor in with the WAG said so, to cancel that now would be a huge kipper in the face.

We can only hope the project is delayed enough for a change of government next year ? and the whole cheap bargain basement project is cancelled in favour of doing a fully compatible full flat job.
As mentioned the contract has been signed and work is well under way on the vehicles, so the builder would be entitled to a huge compensation payment if it was cancelled now. Stopping and starting again with something different would also push the delivery date past the cut-off for EU funding, although the coronavirus may have done that already.
 

Brissle Girl

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“Smart” read cheap...trams have to happen whether it what’s needed or not as some doctor in with the WAG said so, to cancel that now would be a huge kipper in the face.

We can only hope the project is delayed enough for a change of government next year ? and the whole cheap bargain basement project is cancelled in favour of doing a fully compatible full flat job.
So push everything back 2+ years, pay contract penalties in respect of the orders already made, most notably the trams, add X hundred million to the cost by doing the "proper job" that you feel is needed, lose the £119m EU funding that is predicated on the delivery date being met* , discover there's no money to pay for it. Great idea!

* The govt has said they will step in and pay the EU funding if the delivery date is missed, as seems likely, due to the delays in transferring the infrastructure from NR. They would be unlikely to honour that though if the Welsh Assembly decided off it's own bat to delay the project by a further couple of years, which would have ruled out the EU funding even if the NR transfer had been done on time.

Edit: posted simultaneously as Edwin_m, but we're singing from the same hymnsheet!
 
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Tom Quinne

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A few years now, with say £50m (total finger in the air number) delay on their cheap option, compared to a literal lifetime of could’a would’a should’a from future generations forced to live with the decisions of today’s cost of everything, value of nothing thought process.
 

Domh245

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What is the extra value that you get from 755s or full electrification that you don't get from the citylinks though?
 

Brissle Girl

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Better passenger experience (including toilets?) and lower maintenance costs.
Not convinced by the lower maintenance cost. A conventional unit will be heavier. Then in addition the diesel engine will increase maintenance costs, energy costs (even when on ac due to the added weight), track wear, and the toilet will also increase weight, and needs regular servicing. And as it has to be accessible takes up a lot of space too.
 

Dai Corner

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Not convinced by the lower maintenance cost. A conventional unit will be heavier. Then in addition the diesel engine will increase maintenance costs, energy costs (even when on ac due to the added weight), track wear, and the toilet will also increase weight, and needs regular servicing. And as it has to be accessible takes up a lot of space too.

I meant lower maintenance costs for full electrification and pure electrics.

Probably best to avoid the 'T' word! I regret mentioning it now.
 

Tomos y Tanc

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A few years now, with say £50m (total finger in the air number) delay on their cheap option, compared to a literal lifetime of could’a would’a should’a from future generations forced to live with the decisions of today’s cost of everything, value of nothing thought process.

That really is a 'total finger in the air number'. A 'whistling in the wind number' would be a better description. It would cost far more than that.

Cost is not irrelevant and you can chirpy chirpy cheep cheep all you like and roll out every cliche in the book, but governments have to make value judgements with the money they have. At this moment, I think the people of Wales would prefer your 'finger in the air number' was invested in the future resiliance of our health service rather than in some weird insistance that train floors be at a particular level or that toilets be available for short journeys.
 
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Envoy

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Has the rail infrastructure of the central valleys actually now be signed over to The Welsh Government? If it is out of Network Rail control, what about the signalling that is controlled from the massive control centre at Canton? Is all the money invested in this modern signalling system going down the drain?
 

Dai Corner

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Has the rail infrastructure of the central valleys actually now be signed over to The Welsh Government? If it is out of Network Rail control, what about the signalling that is controlled from the massive control centre at Canton? Is all the money invested in this modern signalling system going down the drain?
Yes, it's still operated from Cardiff, and it will be interesting to see what happens in that order.
 

Bald Rick

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Yes, it's still operated from Cardiff, and it will be interesting to see what happens in that order.

The bits of the valley lines that are now under the stewardship of TfW will have control transferred to the new centre at Taffs Wells. This is a relatively cheap operation compared to complete resignalling - the interlockigns and ground equipment all stay the same, except where changes are proposed for the capacity increase.
 

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