£58M BOOST FOR STATION REVAMP
THE long-mooted redevelopment of Cardiff Central Train Station has been boosted, with the UK Government confirming a £58m funding contribution.
Although not a devolved rail asset, the Cardiff Capital Region, made up of the 10 local authorities of south-east Wales, has already committed £40m from its £1.3bn City Deal for the modernisation of the ageing Victorian station.
As part of the UK Government commitment, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that £58m has been released to fund design work on a station upgrade.
This will focus on improving access and ensuring platforms are suited for longer trains, boosting space and capacity for passengers.
While passenger numbers have been hit by the pandemic, the station needs investment to cope with a projected significant rise in passengers over the next decade, fuelled in part by increased capacity and services from the electrification of the Core Valley Lines into the capital which is scheduled for completed in 2023.
The UK Government said its funding allocation for the station project was part of £343m of funding for rail projects across Wales.
However, this includes money it has already committed for the electrification of the core Valleys Lines, for which work is now under way after ownership of the rail asset was transferred from the UK to the Welsh Government.
Now that initial £125m, confirmed back in 2015, has been increased to £196m.
It has also counted in the overall figure the £79m spent recently on completing electrification of the Severn Tunnel, which links Wales and England, so is not a specific Welsh project.
The work formed part of electrification of the Great Western Mainline project from London to Cardiff.
That project came in £2bn over the initial budget of £990m, even accounting for the saving following the decision not to go as far west as Swansea.
Last month the UK Government announced nearly £600m for the first phase of the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU), paving the way for the partial electrification and more tracks on the Leeds to Manchester line.
As it stands, Wales will not get a Barnett Formula consequential from the £80bn High Speed Rail 2 project from London to Birmingham before reaching cities in the north England, although Scotland will.
While the latest new investment in Wales is welcome, in terms of rail enhancement projects Wales still receives just under 2% of UK Government spending, despite having 11% of the UK rail network.
The Transport Secretary has also announced £3m to advance plans for upgraded signalling on the 241km Cambrian line from Shrewsbury Sutton Bridge Junction to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli.
The planned digital signalling system will modernise the network, improving the reliability of services, and supporting the introduction of a new fleet being rolled out across the network in December 2022.
In addition, almost £2m has been made available for the next phase of development work on proposals to speed up journeys between Cardiff and Swansea, Chester and Llandudno Junction, and the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff, through better-aligned tracks and exploring putting additional services on the lines.
Mr Shapps said: “The host of improvements we are delivering across Wales, from huge infrastructure upgrades to creating new and modern stations, are vital to deliver better, quicker and more convenient journeys for passengers within, into and out of Wales.
“We want to transform travel for passengers and, as we build back better from Covid-19, we will ensure our investment helps to level up all parts of the UK.
“By upgrading, improving and – crucially – modernising our railways, we will make good on our promise to deliver the reliable journeys passengers deserve.”
UK Government Minister in Wales David TC Davies said: “Communities across Wales will benefit from this multi-million package of rail investment, aimed at delivering rail services that are fit for the future.
“From proposals to speed up services, improving access for those who need it most and boosting connectivity, these improvements form part of our broader plans to level up the nations and regions of the UK as we rebuild our economy following the coronavirus.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “This funding is a step in the right direction but much more is needed to catch up with rail infrastructure spending in England.
“Rail infrastructure is the responsibility of the UK Government and we have been clear about the urgent need to make up for decades of under-investment in Wales.
“That includes the cancellation of key projects, such as rail electrification between Cardiff and Swansea.
“We continue to press for devolution of powers of rail infrastructure and a fair funding settlement, and wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport at the start of this week on these issues.”
Ian Price, director of CBI Wales, said: “Getting people and goods moving around Wales more quickly and efficiently has long been a priority for Welsh businesses.
“It’s also fundamental to boosting productivity and unlocking the full potential of the local economy.
“While these steps are obviously welcome, we still remain some way short of delivering the modern, lowcarbon transport network that Wales needs.
“Full electrification of railways and investment in electric vehicles sit alongside rollout of full fibre broadband as central priorities to improve connectivity.”