The Great Western Partnership, an alliance of public, private and third sector stakeholders across South Wales and the west of England, has reaffirmed its cross-border rail investment priorities in the wake of Rishi Sunak’s decision to pull the plug on the Birmingham to Manchester leg of high speed two.
Instead the Prime Minister said that £36bn of savings from the decision will be invested in transport projects, mainly in the north of England and Midlands.
He has though pledged £1bn to electrify the North Wales mainline, an announcement with no prior consultation with Network Rail and the Welsh Government. While rail is not devolved Ƶ Government in 2021 set up with the Welsh Government, Network Rail and Transport for Wales, a new Wales Rail Board to set out rail investment priorities for Wales.
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While it identified electrification of the North Wales route as a priority, it is not the highest ranking and behind projects such as investment in up to six new stations, as recommended in the Lord Burns review, along the South Wales mainline. There is currently no funding breakdown for the cost of electrification of the North Wales line and whether £1bn will be enough to also cover signal upgrading, and increased capacity at Chester station, to allow higher speeds and more frequency of service, including local trains, on an electrified line.
As well as backing the building of new stations along the South Wales mainline as set out by Lord Burns, the Great Western Partnership in its 2050 rail vision document is calling for investment on the South Wales mainline and across into England, to allow up to four trains per hour - currently around one every 40 minutes - between Cardiff and Bristol Temple Meads stations. This it said would reduce journey times from the current 50 minutes to 30 minutes.
Journey times between Swansea and Bristol could be reduced from 90 minutes to an hour with three hourly services. The Ƶ Government’s Connectivity Review, chaired by Sir Peter Hendy, described the current rail links as the worst between two major Ƶ conurbations and Cardiff as the “least well connected major Ƶ city.”
The partnership said the cost of improvements to allow more frequency and faster journey times could cost between £1bn to £2bn. In the longer-term its full range of proposals up to 2050 have an indicative cost of between £7bn to £8bn - a fraction of transport funding commitments for the north of England.
Its vision document also calls for investment from the Ƶ Government finance early stages of the proposed Swansea Bay Metro project and as well as for early phases of a proposed mass transit system for Bristol.
Katherine Bennett, chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, said: “It is great to see that £100m has been announced to go toward transport in the West of England. Completion of electrification between Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway and Chippenham is a scheme at the heart of our Vision and in turn presents the programme capability of extending this to Cardiff and Swansea.
“However, there is so much more we can achieve by connecting the Ƶ’s major economic powerhouses across South Wales and West of England and beyond.
“Our area has huge potential to deliver for the Ƶ, with globally recognised cross-border strengths across aerospace, green energy, cyber and creative sectors. By better connecting our communities, we stand ready to deliver an extra £34bn for the Ƶ economy by 2030. I look forward to working with Ƶ Government to see how our solutions can be included as an essential part of the Ƶ’s integrated rail plan.”
Jane Mudd, vice-chair of the Western Gateway Partnership and the leader of Newport City Council, said: “Investment in our area’s rail network is vital for ensuring the Ƶ honours it’s funding commitments for Wales as part of the Barnett Formula. Whilst there is funding in North Wales, there is still nothing to connect South Wales where the majority of the country lives.
“Our Western Gateway vision has support from both Ƶ and Welsh Governments alongside local business leaders. It provides a united plan for how essential improvements across our area can be delivered whilst providing value for money for the whole of the Ƶ economy and I hope the Government takes our recommendations on board urgently.”
Ian Edwards, chief executive of hotel group Celtic Collection and chair of the Western Gateway rail steering committee, said: “The Western Gateway Rail Vision for 2050 is transformational, halving journey times and connecting communities at risk of being left behind with opportunity, deliverable, building on already agreed schemes, and vital for supporting innovation across the area. With an ask of only £1-2bn in the short term to deliver projects, it is also offers extremely good value for money for the Ƶ Treasury.
“As a local business leader, I know the vast potential of our communities and call on the government to make a commitment to delivering on the priorities the Western Gateway has outlined.”
