HeadlineNews Levelling Up Fund provides £170m for rail projects

Cornwall, Cardiff and Peterborough are among biggest grant award winners.

A MASSIVE tranche of Government money from its Levelling Up Fund will be used on rail projects around the country, which will bring improvements for passengers and some new services.

A £50million grant will be used to create a new direct train service linking four of Cornwall’s largest urban areas: Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth/Penryn. Known as the Mid-Cornwall Metro, it will create a sustainable transport corridor and provide improved transport opportunities for employment education and leisure.

At present, a journey from Falmouth to Newquay would need at least two changes of train, but reopening a second platform at Newquay and adding an extra passing loop on the branch at Tregoss Moor will allow an hourly service to run, as well as a mix of local and intercity services.

West Devon hub

Over in Devon, £13million is being provided to build Okehampton Parkway station as part of the West Devon Transport hub. The new station, close to the A30 road, will act as a parkway for North Cornwall and West Devon, addressing limited parking at Okehampton and extending the benefits of the railway further west.

Another £50m has been provided to Cardiff Council towards developing the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail project. This will run from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay and act as a catalyst for the wider Crossrail scheme that aims to ultimately link with the proposed Cardiff Parkway Station in St Mellons, in east Cardiff, unlocking opportunities for a number of new stations in the east of the Welsh capital.

The money will also lead to a regular tram service from Cardiff Central to a new platform at Cardiff Bay train station, two new platforms at Cardiff Central and public realm improvements around the existing and new station platforms (see also Network News).

In the London area, £14million is being provided to double the number of trains between Sutton and Belmont, where a leading oncology centre is being built. Track changes on this section of the Epsom Downs branch will allow an increase from two to four trains per hour with additional direct services from Belmont to Victoria proposed.

Peterborough upgrade

Peterborough station will benefit from an award of £47.8million to build a new western entrance and footbridge, creating a new gateway to the city as part of a major regeneration project for the station quarter.