Village could be at heart of £5bn South Wales Metro
THE village of Taffs Well could be at the heart of the £5bn South Wales Metro project as the location for a huge park and ride facility.
It comes after the Welsh Government recently acquired a major industrial site, which includes the former Forgemasters engineering plant, opposite Taffs Well train station.
The 10-acre Garth Works and Estate site, where there are a number of occupied small business units as well as the 200,000sq ft Forgemasters operation, runs alongside the A470.
The next phase of the integrated public transport Metro project should see the Valley Lines electrified by the early 2020s with more frequent and faster trains – likely light rail.
While there are a number of options for the Garth Works site, it is understood the frontrunner is creating a huge Metro park and ride.
Such a facility would encourage drivers using the A470 on journeys into Cardiff from the Valleys, and vice-versa, to park at Taff Wells and travel on the Metro. This would reduce traffic levels and congestion problems on the A470, particularly during peak commuting times, as well as encouraging more passengers to use the Metro.
And as a major Metro transport hub, it could be the catalyst for a wave of new commercial developments, including new office and retail space.
The site was previously earmarked for a major housing scheme, before the Welsh Government acquired it.
Transport for Wales last year launched the biggest procurement process ever seen in Wales for the design and delivery of Valley Lines electrification, as well as running the next Wales and Borders rail franchise for 15 years, from October 2018. Four bidders have been taken forward – KeolisAmey, MTR, Abellio and Arriva Trains.
The winning bidder is expected to be confirmed later this year. However, the UK Government has yet to devolve the existing rail asset for the Metro to the Welsh Government.
While it has been agreed in principle, the Department for Transport needs to ensure a smooth transfer. This could see it being leased to the Welsh Government for the term of the next franchise, but with the UK Government, through Network Rail, still having a liability position for the Valley Lines.
The Welsh Government is also continuing discussions with a view to acquiring the huge Hoover site at Merthyr Tydfil – which used to employ thousands.
While no deal has been finalised, the site could also be a Metro park and ride, as well as a major employment location with new offices built.
By acquiring and property sites around the existing rail network, as well as where new routes and stations could be built, the Welsh Government is ensuring it doesn’t in future face having to pay far more for sites deemed at strategically important not just for the transport element of the Metro, but also for its wider economic impact.
The Welsh Government declined to comment.