£50m Metro schemes aim
SOUTH Wales Metro transport schemes worth £50m, including new integrated rail and bus hubs, have been identified across the Cardiff Capital Region.
SOUTH Wales Metro transport schemes worth £50m, including new integrated rail and bus hubs, have been identified across the Cardiff Capital Region.
The next phase of the Metro will see electrification of the core Valley lines into Cardiff, for which funding of £738m from the £1.2bn City Deal, has been ringfenced.
Now, 10 schemes have been identified that could see each local authority within the city region receiving £3m to implement schemes in their specific areas.
The Metro Plus projects have secured a £15m investment from Cardiff Capital Region’s City Deal, with a potential co-investment of £15m from Welsh Government.
The remaining £20m will be sourced through local developer contribu- tions, private sector investment and other contributions such as council capital funds.
Programme delivery would commence in 2019 and be complete by 2022.
The proposed schemes include:
A series of active travel packages for Cardiff, including new bus priority measures, the installation of a Central Cycle Superhighway, pedestrian crossing improvements, traffic calming measures, air quality improvements, as well as improved cycle parking.
The creation of a three to four-mile railway link from Abertillery to Ebbw Valley at Aberbeeg, including park and ride facilities for 100 vehicles.
A transport interchange for Caerphilly, on the site of the current bus and railway stations, complete with electronic information, electric vehicle charging for buses and a larger park and ride facility.
A transport hub at Porth, which will house a seven-bay bus interchange, taxi rank and cycle racks, with direct access to the railway station platforms and the park and ride.
A bus and rail interchange at Barry, complete with four to five bus bays, provision for taxis and the potential extension of the existing park and ride site.
A park and ride facility at Pyle as part of the development of an integrated transport hub.
A new bus interchange and link between the bus and railway stations in Merthyr Tydfil, as well as the creation of a park and ride facility at Pentrebach.
An additional 150 to 200-space car park on the south side of Severn Tunnel Junction station and 40 additional bike and ride spaces, a revamped bus-rail interchange, electric vehicle charging spaces and an improved station building.
A park and ride facility at Pontypool and New Inn Station with a minimum of 200 spaces, including electric vehicle charging.
Improvements to the Newport to Cardiff bus corridor to increase bus use and improve journey times, along with the introduction of a park and ride facility to the east of Newport.
The City Deal has also committed £40m in funding towards a major development of Cardiff Central Railway Station, needed for it to cope with a projected rise in passengers during the next two decades. However, an invest- ment of about £100m is required with the Welsh Government in discussions with the UK Government to secure the funding.
Huw David, chairman of the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority, and leader of Bridgend council, said: “The schemes proposed through the Metro Plus programme have been drawn from the priorities of individual councils and mirror the ‘Metro spine’ – creating both short and longer-term opportunities for communities throughout South East Wales.
“The 10 proposed schemes within phase one of the wider Metro Plus programme represent a diverse range of projects, with transport as the central component for enabling growth, expansion and opportunity to be unlocked.
“Metro Plus provides the potential to develop a whole programme of activity that contributes to, complements and enhances Metro and mobility delivery in the region.”