North Wales Metro

[MidlandMainlie]

Just found this on the BBC News website about Labour Plans for a North Wales Metro, does anybody have any further details?

North Wales Metro not right for north west, says Carwyn Jones

Labour's plan for a north Wales metro transport system excludes Anglesey, Gwynedd and Conwy because it is an "urban concept" for heavily populated areas, the first minister has said.
Carwyn Jones told BBC Wales the north-west needed "rural solutions" instead.
The north Wales metro would include trams, upgraded railway stations and better bus services, Labour says.

In February, Mr Jones told the Daily Post newspaper the network would be running by around 2035.
Labour's assembly election manifesto commits the party to "starting work on the development of a north Wales metro" if it retains power on 5 May.

On Thursday, Mr Jones said: "Bear in mind a metro is an urban concept for areas that are heavily populated," Mr Jones said.
"You don't apply an urban solution to a rural areas, you apply rural solutions.
"What does that mean? Continuing to subsidise bus services where they're needed."
Mr Jones said it also meant "connecting communities", ensuring long distance bus routes "continue to prosper", electrification of the north Wales main rail line and improvements to the A55.

Labour has not announced how much a north Wales metro would cost, but fulfilling plans for a south Wales metro have been estimated to require more than £2bn and take until 2030.

The Conservatives have pledged to create a new arm's-length body to ensure an integrated transport system across Wales, and promised a long-term strategy for road, rail and public transport networks.

Plaid Cymru has promised the "biggest investment programme since devolution in all parts of Wales" to improve public transport.

The Liberal Democrats say they would establish regional transport authorities responsible for "re-regulating" local buses, ensuring the completion of major projects such as the south Wales metro and improving connections.

UKIP has promised "major investment" to widen the most congested sections of the A55, and to upgrade the A470 and A483.

EDIT:- Sorry mods, meant to post in Infrastructure and Stations section, fell free to move

 

[notlob.divad]

It is a bit of a strange concept to say the least and the person who drew the 'map' struggles with some basic geography

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-metro-wont-stopping-11191812

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It is a bit of a strange concept to say the least and the person who drew the 'map' struggles with some basic geography
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-metro-wont-stopping-11191812

The map of the South Wales Metro was pretty vague, but his one stretches the imagination.
So the Vale of Clwyd is Metroland is it (urban, highly populated)?
The vagueness will be deliberate, so that no specific proposals can be read into it.
Lines around the Wirral are simply wrong. Where is that Airbus station supposed to be?

"Improving the A55" will be all that emerges, and maybe a couple of reopened stations on existing lines.
The Tories want to increase the speed limit on the A55 to 80mph.
I think it is already one of the most dangerous trunk roads around, even at 70mph.
People think it's a motorway, when it isn't.

 

[backontrack]

Perhaps it could run from Wrexham to Bangor? Of course, only if money was no object.

University of Bangor
Bangor Centre
Bangor station
Maesgeirchen
Llanfairfechan
Penmaenmawr
Dwygyfylchi
Conwy
Llandudno Junction
Deganwy
Llandudno Central
Penrhyn
Rhos-on-Sea
Colwyn Bay
Old Colwyn
Abergele & Pensarn
Kinmel Bay
Rhyl
Prestatyn
Mostyn
Holywell
Bagillt
Flint
Connah's Quay
Shotton Interchange

Here, a connecting curve would run northwards to join the Borderlands Line.
Hawarden Bridge
Little Neston
Neston
Heswall Central
Barnston
Bidston
all stations to Birkenhead Rock Ferry

The original line continues to:
Queensferry & Deeside

A new curve would run between Queensferry and Shotton going east-south. This would allow through running between Chester and the Borderlands Line. Trains from Chester and Wrexham would run either to Bangor or to Mold, with Borderlands Line services now running from Wrexham to either Birkenhead or Llandudno.

At Queensferry & Deeside the line splits:

Hawarden station
Ewloe
Buckley station
Buckley Centre
Mold

or to
Broughton & Bretton
Airbus UK
Saltney & Lache
Chester Centre
Chester station

then to:

University of Chester
Countess of Chester Hospital
Bache Station
Upton (Chester)
M53 Chester Parkway

or

Mickle Trafford
Helsby
Frodsham
Beechwood
Runcorn
South Widnes
Speke East
Liverpool Airport
Garston East
Liverpool South Parkway
West Allerton
Mossley Hill
Edge Hill South
Crown Park & Christchurch
Liverpool Cathedral
Baltic Triangle
Liverpool King's Parade

or

Boughton
Huntington
Chester Business Park
Rossett
Gresford
Llay
Wrexham Glyndwr University
Wrexham General
Wrexham Maelor Hospital
Wrexham Central


Of course, if money truly grew on trees, rained from the sky and sprung up from the ground, then we could have branches to Llangefni, Amlwch, Benllech, Beaumaris, Rhuddlan, Denbigh, Ruthin, St. Asaph, Caerwys, Afonwen and Abergele. Something to Caernarfon could be more realistic, but totally stupid unless it was a heavy rail line. Of course, this is all pie-in-the-sky and an unrealistic.

 

[Greenback]

Another hare brained and ill thought out scheme designed purely to capture votes in the upcoming elections.

No wonder so many people are so utterly sick of politics.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Trams are a bizarre idea. I'd envisaged something more like the Swiss take on S-Bahn - lower frequencies but consistent calling patterns and connections using heavy rail trains.

 

[backontrack]

Another hare brained and ill thought out scheme designed purely to capture votes in the upcoming elections.

I thought I'd set it out for you just to prove how ridiculous it is.

 

[theageofthetra]

How much did this idiotic idea cost me?

 

[krus_aragon]

The map of the South Wales Metro was pretty vague, but his one stretches the imagination.
So the Vale of Clwyd is Metroland is it (urban, highly populated)?

At a guess, I'd say that's referring to the 51 bus through the Vale of Clwyd: currently an Arriva Max service every 20 mins Rhyl to Denbigh via Glan Clwyd Hospital.

I don't know if that's what the map is really meant to show: it's a steaming heap of diagrammatic spaghetti that could bring Harry Beck spinning out of his grave...

 

[bigbadhenry]

Another hare brained and ill thought out scheme designed purely to capture votes in the upcoming elections.

No wonder so many people are so utterly sick of politics.

There so out of touch in Cardiff, they have no idea about North Wales and they don't care. It's just election talk and nothing will change for the better. No way will they spend money up north, just look a the A55 as an example, built on the cheap and not up to the job.

 

[Gareth Marston]

There so out of touch in Cardiff, they have no idea about North Wales and they don't care. It's just election talk and nothing will change for the better. No way will they spend money up north, just look a the A55 as an example, built on the cheap and not up to the job.

The reality is that the Welsh political class has failed to be honest about what the Assembly can and can't do. We've had 16 years of publishing long lists of schemes which they fail to deliver. We're still talking about delivering the heads of the valleys road and an M4 Relief road decades on, all the lack of action & £ about valleys electrification / South Wales metro. We get a dribble of schemes from the public purse in Wales the public sector simply hasn't got the resources to build lots of road upgrades, bypasses, link roads and fund a decent public transport system. Hence we get wishy washy promises scattered all over Wales in the hope of appeasing voters.

 

[backontrack]

I think the reality is:

Westminster don't care about the north of England
Holyrood don't care about the north of Scotland
Cardiff don't care about the north of Wales

...and that's why decentralisation is so important. It's necessary.

This Metro plan is, however, dead on arrival. It is a steaming pile of baloney.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The Assembly has the resources to deliver a national modern public transport system by 2030 if it owns up and bes honest - it can't afford to deliver every proposed road scheme in every corner of Wales.

Trying to cherry pick road schemes leads to the us and them problems as only so few can proceed at any one time meaning large areas miss out on the share of the small pie.

 

[krus_aragon]

Trying to cherry pick road schemes leads to the us and them problems as only so few can proceed at any one time meaning large areas miss out on the share of the small pie.

The above (half-baked) scheme is, in a way, a response to “us and them” complaints with the South Wales Metro plans...

 

[Gareth Marston]

The above (half-baked) scheme is, in a way, a response to “us and them” complaints with the South Wales Metro plans...

I have no problem with the concept and reasoning for Cardiff City Region Metro and the fact it should be a priority, where I have problems is the subsequent lack of any coherent transport plan for the remaining half of Wales.

Lets face it Wales second city Swansea isn't covered by it let alone Wrexham/Deeside or the North Wales coast ribbon/urban fringe or the rural areas!