Transport system critical for the capital to progress
CARDIFF has shown it can be a leading European events city, but it needs an integrated passenger transport system to progress.
For many years the big events were the rugby internationals, including the World Cup.
But the offer has widened into music, soccer, cricket and exhibitions, while the Nato conference upped Cardiff’s profile.
The recent Ed Sheeran concert brought in a quarter of a million people over four nights; the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff later this month will attract more than 100,000 people; and last year the Principality Stadium had 1.3 million visitors – all providing a major economic contribution to the region.
However, these numbers have to be catered for in our passenger transport system.
Up to now, no-one has been left stranded but often services are stretched.
On the railways, lessons learned from the World Cup have enabled Great Western Railway to make available extra trains on Saturdays and Sundays when regular train frequencies are fewer.
A major challenge arises, however, when an event doesn’t finish until late on a weekday and trains or drivers (within their legal hours limit) have to be repositioned for the next day’s morning commuter demand.
After the Ed Sheeran concert, Arriva Trains Wales had only limited capacity and train companies are only able to lease additional trains from specialist companies rather than from other mainline companies.
A past answer to driver availability was the British Rail policy of all managers being able to drive trains.
Transport for Wales’ (TfW) plans for increased train frequencies into central Cardiff, with up to 12 trains per hour (on the Pontypridd line) and operating until later at night, will make a significant contribution.
Combined with these are the plans for higher-capacity trains, shorter journey times and a service pattern (clock-face timetable) which is easy to understand.
All these will be in place between now and 2023.
The Cardiff network hub will be the Central Public Transport Interchange – colloquially, the railway and bus stations – which is now progressing under TfW, with the bus station capacity north of the railway and a coach station to the south planned or under construction.
The railway element of the hub requires two extra platforms for major events and locations to the west of the current station have been suggested, though this will require land purchase or changes in the rail layout.
But the eastbound rail infrastructure bottleneck still has to be relieved to serve our visitors from south-east Wales and the major market in England’s Midlands and south-east/London.
For shorter journeys, the bus services will remain the most important passenger transport for attendees at events.
However, there is a need to consider the provision of additional late-night buses on event nights through a conversation between the organisers, TfW (from now on) and the operators; or it may be a commercial decision.
But again, positioning of buses and drivers for the following morning has to be considered.
Chartered coaches provide for the group travel market and require parking and pick-up plans.
An opportunity arises over the next few years for TfW to lead the transporting of big-event passengers.
The move by the Welsh Government towards integrated ticketing between train and bus has to be a first step, running in parallel with TfW’s current development of the railway timetable and fares.
For the visitor, the bus company distinction is of no interest.
Travellers want south-east Wales to have, as most other capital cities (including London and Belfast) do, multi-operator day/weekly tickets replacing individual bus company tickets.
As the market is dominated by only five bus companies (NAT, Stagecoach, Cardiff Bus, Newport Transport, TrawsCymru) and Arriva Trains, this should not be difficult, with a revenue distribution formula similar to that for concessionary bus passes.
The chair of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), Wales, has complained that the creation of the new rail Metro will make the position of bus services even worse.
However, an integrated ticket system will encourage more passengers on to all forms of public transport and one would expect the CPT to be encouraging that.
Out of town park-and-ride at major bus stops and railway stations, and bus priority schemes play an important part
These actions match the criteria – frequency, reliability, convenience, improved interchange and easy ticketing – which recent surveys indicated would reduce car usage through modal change by commuters and visitors.
Fewer cars will also help meet the air-quality levels being considered today by Cardiff City Council’s environmental scrutiny committee.
■ Professor Stuart Cole CBE is Emeritus Professor of Transport (Economics and Policy) at the University of South Wales.