Rail station’s new car park still not open
A NEW railway station car park is still lying empty despite millions of pounds being spent on it.
Plans to upgrade facilities at Pontypool and New Inn railway station including a new car park and railway bridge have been ongoing since 2021.
The scheme includes a new 140space car park to turn it into a parkand-ride facility as well as a new footbridge to improve accessibility at the station. In 2021 it was reported the scheme’s costs had more than doubled from its initial estimate of £3.5m to around £7.2m.
Torfaen council said at the time that its original estimate was based on “a very simple outline design”.
In March a new footbridge allowing passengers to cross from the new car park to the existing “island platform” was installed.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports that this was due to open in the summer but has yet to.
This week pictures showed the new car park remains gated off and closed to the public. Councillors in Monmouthshire have been told the new car park and bridge are currently subject to safety testing and may not be open until well into 2024.
Christian Scmidt, passenger transport planning manager for Monmouthshire council, was asked at its public services scrutiny committee recently if he could provide any update on the station, which is mostly being funded by the Cardiff Capital Region and Welsh Government.
“My understanding is there are issues with the signing-off of some work at Pontypool and New Inn, the new bridge and car park. I believe there were some late changes made that now need effectively signing off and the place can’t open until that has been done,” he said.
Usk independent councillor Meirion Howells, who had asked for the update, asked: “So almost ready to open?”
Mr Scmidt replied: “I believe it might be some more months, it might be six months effectively – the key work has been done.”
Currently drivers have to access Pontypool and New Inn station via a narrow road from New Inn, and there are only around 20 parking spaces.
Torfaen County Borough Council said the new facilities will be brought into service “as soon as practicably possible”.