Parkway station plans on track
PASSENGERS in West Wales could benefit from a new railway station on the outskirts of Swansea which would cut travel times to Cardiff and beyond.
UK ministers have said plans for a parkway station north of Swansea at Felindre have moved forward as they unveiled an £80 million rail investment in Wales.
Supporters of the parkway station say it would cut 14 minutes off a journey between Carmarthen and Cardiff for those with no need to stop at Swansea.
It would make West Wales more accessible by rail and help take cars off the M4.
Essentially passengers from stations such as Carmarthen and Llanelli will be able to leapfrog two heavily-used stations - Swansea’s main High Street station and Neath, with the next stop after Llanelli being Felindre and then on to Port Talbot. The route would avoid the dog-leg created by Swansea High Street and Neath stations.
The Felindre parkway plans have been welcomed by the leader of Carmarthenshire Council, councillor Emlyn Dole, who said: “This is very welcome news, which will benefit Carmarthenshire businesses and residents.
“An initial 14-minute reduction in journey times to Cardiff and onto London will make a significant difference to passengers travelling that route.
“New infrastructure, with supporting additional rail journeys to West Wales, is essential to boost the regional economic prosperity.
“And with traffic continuing to grow on key trunk roads across West Wales, an improved offer from rail both in journey time, frequency and quality of service is vital to help tackle congestion and improve connectivity.
“As a council we are committed to cutting our carbon footprint, so schemes of this nature should be welcomed.”
Llanelli councillor John Jenkins said: “It would be using one of the most under used rail lines in South Wales, the Swansea district line.
“I think this announcement can only be good news for those of us living west of Swansea.
“Not only in terms of being able to get to Cardiff quicker, but also offering commuters a better opportunity.
“A lot of people work in Morriston hospital and the DLVA for example, so being able to get a faster service straight to that part of Swansea using the Felindre parkway station will be a huge advantage.
“As long as, of course, the links from the new station to Swansea’s main station in the High Street are good.”
Councillor Jenkins argued the commuting benefits could also work the other way, adding: “With quicker journey times by-passing Swansea’s high street station, people will get to West Wales faster and that may be a factor if there are job opportunities here in Llanelli or Carmarthen.”
David Darkin, president of Llanelli Chamber of Trade, also welcomed the plans, adding: “The proposed investment in the rail network shows the overall pattern of economic development to the west and the new station will help further unlock that potential.”
A study by Professor Stuart Cole, from the University of South Wales, said Felindre would unlock “suppressed” rail demand west of Swansea.
As part of the £80 million investment, longer platforms and better access will also be created at Cardiff’s busiest station, Cardiff Central, as part of a £58 million revamp.