SUBURB’S TRAIN STATION PLAN IS ON TRACK
A NEW £25m railway station in a Cardiff suburb, aiming to be at the heart of a massive development that could create 10,000 new jobs, has been given UK Government backing.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced support for the plans for Cardiff Parkway Station at St Mellons.
If it goes ahead, the scheme – which includes plans for a huge business, retail and leisure development – would be the first privately financed railway station in Wales in the modern era.
The announcement came as it also emerged the electrification of the South Wales Mainline will stop at Cardiff, and will not extend to Swansea. Instead, trains will switch to diesel power for the stretch of the journey to Swansea.
When reports first emerged earlier this week suggesting such a decision was in the pipeline, campaigners who had long lobbied for rail electrification all the way to Swansea branded it a “disgrace” and a “U-turn”.
Meanwhile, the St Mellons site has already been designated as a major future employment zone in Cardiff council’s local development plan.
The developers will now be moving forward with a detailed planning application.
Under the plans, the station and 1,600 car parking spaces would be operational by February 2020 and by 2026 would be handling at least 600,000 passengers a year.
And in becoming a major transport hub for the Cardiff Capital Region, backers are confident it will prove the catalyst for the building of up to one million square feet of new office, shops and leisure space around the station, on more than 170 acres of undeveloped land.
The station would be based on the existing South Wales to London Great Western Mainline, which runs through the site.
The aim is for the Welsh Government’s arm’s-length transport company, Transport for Wales, to build the station on behalf of the developers Cardiff Parkway Developments Ltd.
The company is a joint venture company between Welsh entrepreneur Nigel Roberts and his son Andrew – managing director of Paramount Office Interiors – and global specialist bank Investec plc, which has a 49% stake in the business.
David van der Walt, Cardiff Parkway Developments’ board member and global CEO of Investec Bank, said: “I welcome the news and look forward to working closely with Welsh Government in delivering this transformation project for South Wales.”
The joint venture company will require a commitment that trains will stop there as part of the next Wales and Borders franchise agreement, which is being devolved from the UK Government to the Welsh Government.
The franchise becomes operational in October next year.
The running of that franchise, as well as the next phase of the Welsh Government’s flagship Metro project with electrification of the Valley Lines, is subject to a competitive procurement for which there are four bidders in Abellio, MTR, Keolis and Arriva Trains Wales.
Cardiff Parkway Developments is seeking at least four services, each way, every hour.
Nigel Roberts said: “This endorsement from Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is fantastic news, for what would be the first privately-financed new rail station in Wales.
“As well as the great support we have received in our various meetings with Mr Grayling and his team at the Department for Transport and Network Rail, we have also received great support from the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, and cross-party support from Cardiff MP Stephen Doughty, who is the constituent MP, and the previous MP for Cardiff North Craig Williams.
“We are looking for at least four services an hour through the station each way and we are having positive conversations with the Welsh Government’s Economy and Transport Minister, Ken Skates, who I must say has been very proactive on how that can be supported through the next Wales and Borders rail franchise.
“The aim is for other services, like the Portsmouth and Manchester trains to South Wales, to also stop at the station.
“The next franchise on the Great Western Mainline is in 2021 and it will be our objective to get Cardiff Parkway designated as a station for service between South Wales and Paddington once we can prove demand.
“We also want Cardiff Parkway to be a key transport solution for major events in Cardiff, such as rugby international days
and large concerts.
“We are now in pre-planning discussions with Cardiff council, starting this Friday, who through its leader Huw Thomas and Cabinet Member for Investment and Development Russell Goodway, can see the huge economic impact this project will have not just for St Mellons and Cardiff, but the wider Cardiff Capital Region.”
He added: “Cardiff Parkway could not be better placed geographically being very close the existing M4 and the proposed new M4 relief road.
“The team at Cardiff Parkway Developments are great believers that in order for a public transport solution to work it has to become the transport of choice, and we have every confidence that our station will not only form an integral part of the wider South Wales Metro but it will also make a considerable difference in alleviating the traffic congestion on the east of Cardiff.”
On the business, retail and leisure park, Mr Roberts said that over time it could create 10,000 jobs.
He added: “We are already in dialogue with some exciting prospective tenants and those conversations will now be accelerated with today’s announcement, which provides certainty of an operational station by February 2020.”
Mr Grayling said: “I welcome a proposal for Wales’ first privately funded railway station at St Mellons.
“My department will work with those promoting the scheme as they develop their plans.”
“The project was seeking a funding contribution from the Department for Transport and Network Rail’s New Station Fund 2. However, to speed up the process it has decided to fund it all privately.”