UK Government to fund rail services between west Wales and Bristol …
The UK Government’s transport secretary Mark Harper recently announced a number of connectivity improvements in response to a union connectivity review carried out and published by Lord Peter Hendy.
As part of the UK-wide improvements, funding will be given to improve connectivity in both south and north Wales, with £2.7m to be given to Transport for Wales (TfW). This money is to develop options for upgrades to the south Wales main line which will include new stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, and provide increased services between west Wales and Bristol.
There have recently been upgrades to the services between west Wales and Bristol, with GWR extending its London Paddington to Swansea service to include Carmarthen as a starting and ending point.
Also announced is £700k for TfW for upgrading Shotton and Chester stations and increasing capacity on the north Wales main line and £1bn to fund electrification of the north Wales main line. There will also be £1.75bn to improve the Midlands Rail Hub in full, which will benefit people travelling between Cardiff and Birmingham.
There will also be an updated public service obligation policy to include routes for aviation operating to and from different regions of the UK, rather than just to London. This will protect domestic flight connectivity between more regions of the UK. The UK Government has also relaunched the inter-ministerial group for transport to reinforce its commitment to work in partnership with the devolved administrations.
Mr Harper said: “We are committed to delivering growth opportunities across the United Kingdom, including potential rail upgrades across Wales.
“Today we are announcing more investment[1] into projects that will boost connectivity and enhance transport connections across Wales. These projects will identify schemes that can bring economic benefits to people across the UK.
“I’d like to thank the Welsh Government for working collaboratively with us on these projects and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on improving UK transport connectivity.”
David TC Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, said: “The UK Government has invested millions directly in Wales’ transport infrastructure, speeding up journeys for travellers. Following the Hendy review we are committed to making further significant improvements, leading to better-connected communities and greater opportunity for people across the country.
“The planned £1bn electrification of the north Wales main line, £50m for Cardiff cross rail, £141m for the Valley lines and £11m for the A4119 road upgrade are just some of the improvements the UK Government is delivering in infrastructure in every part of Wales.”
It is hoped the improved connectivity will promote economic growth as it will increase access to a wider pool of skills and opportunities. It will be supported by significant long-term work through other government programmes including Network North.
Lord Hendy’s review was the first UK-wide multi-modal strategic transport assessment in a generation after he called for improved transport connectivity across the UK.
References
- ^ investment (www.thisismoneyback.co.uk)