Opinion
do with economic inactivity in some Valley communities.
The transport challenge While the benefits of VLE to the valleys are clear – including faster and more frequent journeys to Cardiff – the benefits for Cardiff residents are more limited. This is especially true for 150,000 people in the east of the city (from Roath to St Mellons) not connected to the regional rail network. In places like Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT), Caerphilly and The Vale of Glamorgan, which will have the larger part of their populations served by the newly electrified valley rail network, the average number of people per rail station is 11-12,000, the figure in Cardiff is over 17,000. With VLE, many communities in the valleys will have good access to the centre of Cardiff; future issues for these communities will be frequency of service and capacity rather than connectivity. For Cardiff the primary issue is lack of
regional connectivity, let alone frequency and capacity. When one factors in the addition of 40,000 new homes in Cardiff to 2026, as well as a need to provide connectivity to a range of development sites, the challenges of delivering public
transport in the city becomes even starker. So the South Wales Metro must address
the challenge of rising population, as well as providing connectivity to/from the valleys.
A Cardiff Crossrail? One project that could begin to deliver a solution is a ‘Cardiff Crossrail’ to provide metro services across the city. An east to west Crossrail service from St Mellons in the east all the way to J33 Creigiau in the west will use the electrified relief lines east of Cardiff Central, the city line and the reinstatement of the old track from Fairwater to Creigiau. A complementary north to south Crossrail service will operate from J32 on the Coryton line to the bay, interchanging at Callaghan Square with the E-W line. By adopting European style tram-train
technology (rail vehicles that can run on normal electrified heavy rail and on street in ‘tram mode’), the Crossrail project will also enable the long discussed light rail link between the city centre and the bay. New/enhanced stations at places like
Ely Bridge and St Mellons will begin to address the relatively poor rail connectivity in many parts of the city, be used to encourage regeneration/development and
Potential Cardiff Crossrail “tram-train” Lines: North-South: Coryton to Cardiff Bay East-West: St Mellons to J33/Creigiau
facilitate denser mixed-use development. The increased regional connectivity will also enhance the ‘travel to work area’ of key towns in the valleys by giving a large number of people in Cardiff the option of accessing employment in places like Caerphilly and Pontypridd via connections between Crossrail and valley line services at Central, Queen St, Crwys Rd and so on. Combined with a turn up and go
service frequency of four trains per hour using new high quality electric tram-train rolling stock and park & rides on the M4 at J32, J33 and St Mellons, a Cardiff Crossrail will attract many new passengers to the rail network. Furthermore, by integrating bus
services across the city (especially Fairwater, St Mellons and Rumney) on a single ticket, then a truly integrated transport system begins to emerge.
Enabling development and regeneration The Cardiff Crossrail project also provides opportunities to satisfy Welsh Government planning policy objectives as regards transport-related development, set out in the recently published, Planning Policy Wales, which suggests that local authorities identify the need for additional interchange sites and improvements
P Coryton
J33 P
P St Mellons P
Key:
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www.mgbarryconsulting.com
Metro Vision for Cardiff CC
Cardiff Bay
P
This document contains company confidential and/or proprietary information. Do not copy, distribute or otherwise communicate the contents of this document without prior written express consent from M&G Barry Consulting Limited.
www.mgbarryconsulting.com
Core electrified heavy rail Existing stations Current/potential development Cardiff Crossrail Tram-train: - Using existing electrified line - New sections - New stations - New Park and Ride - Possible future extensions
CONFIDENTIAL - Prepared by M&G Barry Consulting V20 December 2012
0 March 2013 Page 59
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