Funding promised to improve connectivity

THE Government announced on December 7 that funding is to be provided for projects identified as a priority in the Union Connectivity Review (UCR) that was produced by Network Rail chairman Peter Hendy.

The poor state of rail services between North Wales and employment centres in North West England were identified as a significant factor in the social deprivation of Welsh coastal towns such as Bangor and Llandudno, where average earnings are far below those available in English employment centres such and Liverpool and Manchester.

Using the ‘Gross Value Added’ economic statistics at the time of UCR submission in 2020, people living in local authority areas such as Conwy and Denbighshire had average earnings that were below £17,000 per annum. The rail service has been frozen in time, and reflects the much-reduced demand for travel to the seaside towns for leisure purposes rather than the ability for residents to use rail to access higher paid jobs.

North Wales electrification

In response to the findings, the intention is to provide £1 billion to upgrade and electrify the North Wales Main Line between Crewe and Holyhead, as well as connections to Warrington and Liverpool, to allow access to electrified routes in the

North West. An upgrade of the Borderlands Line between

Bidston and Wrexham is also included.

The business case for North Wales electrification was weak when it was last assessed by Network Rail prior to the effect of the pandemic. It was suggested that the benefit/cost ratio was a low as 0.2, meaning that investment would not survive scrutiny by public spending auditors.

But the Government acknowledges that traffic levels need to be increased in the short term, and for that reason £700,000 has been allocated by the Department for Transport to enable Transport for Wales to identify the capacity improvements needed to enable a viable timetable that will make rail competitive for commuters. The study will include the need for an improved layout at Chester, faster line speeds and reduced signalling headways, with an ability for express services to overtake slower trains.

South Wales and the Midlands

TfW will also receive £2.7 million to develop the use of the South Wales Main Line between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, which will include new stations and increased services to Bristol, again to improve employment opportunities.

Approval has been also given to implement the £1.75billion Midlands Rail Hub proposal, which will provide greater capacity and allow faster and more frequent services around the West Midlands, including the route between Birmingham and Cardiff.

The core proposal is to increase capacity at Birmingham Moor Street, which will be adjacent to the new HS2 station at Curzon Street, with the aim of reducing congestion at New Street station. This project involves constructing a new railway formation that will connect the Camp Hill line to the Chiltern route, allowing greater use to be made of Moor Street.

Network Rail is currently preparing the Strategic Business case to support a new chord for this between Bordesley and central Birmingham, allowing an improved timetable that will allow more services to operate from stations in the East Midlands and Worcester.