Twelve potential new railway stations in Wales

[krus_aragon]

The BBC has coverage of an announcement by Economy Minister Ken Skates listing twelve sites (from a list of 46) under consideration for new railway stations:

• Cardiff: Ely Mill/Victoria Park
• Cardiff: Newport Road/Rover Way
• Cardiff: St Mellons
• Newport: Llanwern
• Swansea: Cockett
• Swansea: Landore
• St Clears
• Deeside Industrial Park/Northern Gateway
• North Wrexham
• South Wrexham
• Llangefni
• Bow Street

Articles in English and Welsh

Economy Secretary Ken Skates has written to AMs saying the sites have been chosen from a list of 46 proposals for more detailed scrutiny.


n his letter, Mr Skates said the first part of a three-stage process had whittled the list of 46 down to 12.

"The more costly work on producing detailed cost estimates for a new station and timetable modelling is only carried out on the highest priorities," he wrote.



"The stage two assessment will look in more detail at the strength of the financial and economic case...."

Llangefni's inclusion is slightly surprising, as it requires reopening a branch line to get to the station. I thought things had died a death after the evaluation done seven years ago put a £25M price tag on it. It seems there's life in the plan yet!

(Or could some of the list be there just to make voters happy in the run up to the forthcoming elections? Hm...)

 

[Kite159]

Good news people of South Wales, you can have these shiny new stations...

...bad news people of South Wales, the only services that will be stopping at said shiny new stations will be the 2-hourly "Swanline" services with a token long distance service every now and again at completely random and illogically times

 

[absolutelymilk]

The BBC has coverage of an announcement by Economy Minister Ken Skates listing twelve sites (from a list of 46) under consideration for new railway stations:

• Cardiff: Ely Mill/Victoria Park
• Cardiff: Newport Road/Rover Way
• Cardiff: St Mellons
• Newport: Llanwern
• Swansea: Cockett
• Swansea: Landore
• St Clears
• Deeside Industrial Park/Northern Gateway
• North Wrexham
• South Wrexham
• Llangefni
• Bow Street

Guessing that a North Wrexham station would be either near Pandy or near Gresford?

 

[Parallel]

Cardiff Ely Park/Victoria Mill is already near Waun Gron Park station.

Cardiff Newport Road/Rover Way could work. No stations especially East Cardiff.

Cardiff St Mellons - Yep. Quite a lot of houses in this area though the station would be at the very south of all the houses. Not sure what would stop here, possibly Ebbw Vale trains?

Llanwern in Newport could work if the station is built over the A48 as it's next to the retail park. Surprised Magor hasn't been listed. You could probably get Cheltenham Spa and possibly Taunton services stopping here.

There are a lack of stations around Swansea, though Cockett is right at the West of the city and Llandore would be close to Swansea station and would get an infrequent service..

St Clears has a larger population than I'd expected though the station would be quite far out from the village, and I'd imagine the bus stops directly in the centre.

The Deeside Industrial Park is very near Hawarden Bridge. If there is significant demand for a station here, either Hawarden Bridge should get more services stopping, or should be closed down with a new station opened just north.

North Wrexham would probably be justified, South Wrexham less so. Maybe one at Johnstown between Ruabon and Wrexham however.

Llangefni - Looks like a reasonable sized town in Anglesey and very exciting if they plan to re-open the branch line.

Bow Street - Yes! It's a busy area and I think the station would be used. It probably won't happen though.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Bidston line is very badly sited for any station at Deeside, and all the industrial sites are vast and widely spread.
If the Dee Marsh-Chester line still existed a station at Sealand would make more sense - but the route has gone.
Not a promising situation, although I can understand WG want to improve on the negligible service at the isolated Hawarden Bridge.

It's all very well adding stations here and there, but it will only slow down already slow services, making them less attractive.
NR will be paralytic about new stations on the SWML, they will cost ££££ and eat up capacity on the main line.

 

[MaxLikesTrains]

Lucky people

 

[All Line Rover]

I would have thought that Chester has a more pressing need for an additional station. It seems that these Welsh politicians live on another planet.

 

[All Line Rover]

Maybe one at Johnstown between Ruabon and Wrexham however.

A population of less than 5,000, situated within 3 miles of two existing railways stations, is deserving of its own railway station? I am lost for words.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Politics the whole lot were in the midst of playing secret squirrel about the next Wales and Borders franchise with the speciation of it being kept secret and bidders not allowed to say boo to a goose yet the Minister has seemingly announced 12 new stations to be served by it......won't make me vote for Welsh Labour though especially not the Bow St proposal which will destroy punctuality on the Cambrian unless accompanied by extra infrastructure spend.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The Bidston line is very badly sited for any station at Deeside, and all the industrial sites are vast and widely spread.
If the Dee Marsh-Chester line still existed a station at Sealand would make more sense - but the route has gone.
Not a promising situation, although I can understand WG want to improve on the negligible service at the isolated Hawarden Bridge.

It's all very well adding stations here and there, but it will only slow down already slow services, making them less attractive.
NR will be paralytic about new stations on the SWML, they will cost ££££ and eat up capacity on the main line.

Dee Marsh Junction to Chester Northgate was the busiest line in Wales closed by Beeching, the traffic survey maps showed it in the busiest category. yet the mid Cheshire line to Manchester was in the next category down at its western end but was diverted into General. A bonkers closure especially as the line stayes open for freight. The industrial estate is huge for those that don't know it and produces huge volumes of car traffic, the Welsh Goverbment are having another go at "improving the A494" ie putting more lanes on it despite it being thrown at public inquiry about 10 years ago.

 

[Parallel]

A population of less than 5,000, situated within 3 miles of two existing railways stations, is deserving of its own railway station? I am lost for words.

My idea would be that it'd serve Rhosllannerchrugog too with a population of nearly 10,000 but, perhaps not the best idea.

 

[emoaconr]

My idea would be that it'd serve Rhosllannerchrugog too with a population of nearly 10,000 but, perhaps not the best idea.

There are frequent calls and studies for a re-opening of Johnstown and Rossett stations in Wrexham. Gwersyllt is of course currently the most northerly station in Wrexham County Borough on the Bidston line, which operates as a commuter service, but arguably Cefn-y-Bedd, Caergwrle and Hope are also considered in the 'postal town' of Wrexham. Many of these stations serve populations far less than 5000 and continue to be viable.

South Wrexham is badly served by rail services in comparison. There is of course a chord between the Bidston line and the Shrewsbury line via platform 3 at Wrexham General, though no passenger services pass between the two lines.

 

[krus_aragon]

I would have thought that Chester has a more pressing need for an additional station. It seems that these Welsh politicians live on another planet.

They do live in another country (with the expectation of UKIP's Neil Hamilton).

 

[The Planner]

Politics the whole lot were in the midst of playing secret squirrel about the next Wales and Borders franchise with the speciation of it being kept secret and bidders not allowed to say boo to a goose yet the Minister has seemingly announced 12 new stations to be served by it......won't make me vote for Welsh Labour though especially not the Bow St proposal which will destroy punctuality on the Cambrian unless accompanied by extra infrastructure spend.

Bow St is the easiest of any proposal to make work on the Cambrian, much more so than Carno etc....

 

[backontrack]

Surprised to see Magor left off this list.

 

[Hwnt52]

Welsh Labour are very good at producing grandiose 'plans' just before an election which are then filed away and forgotten. How many of these will be built? St Mellons maybe, Bow Street if an additional passing loop is constructed, and perhaps one in the north to pacify the natives, but don't hold your breath.

 

[DelW]

Cost of Minister considering new stations: negligible
Likelihood of that happening in run-up to election: high
Cost of actually building new stations: high
Likelihood of that happening after election: negligible

 

[Gareth Marston]

Bow St is the easiest of any proposal to make work on the Cambrian, much more so than Carno etc....

Pray tell as the consensus of those of us who work the line is that extra infrastructure is needed unless you sacrifice punctuality on the line incl Carno.

 

[krus_aragon]

Cost of Minister considering new stations: negligible
Likelihood of that happening in run-up to election: high
Cost of actually building new stations: high
Likelihood of that happening after election: negligible

Discussion and criticism on RailUK: priceless!

 

[bluenoxid]

Surprised to see Magor left off this list.

Potentially, this is a sign that it has been successful seeking funding from elsewhere.

 

[The Planner]

Pray tell as the consensus of those of us who work the line is that extra infrastructure is needed unless you sacrifice punctuality on the line incl Carno.

Why do you need new infrastructure? It is on the stretch between Dovey and Aberystwth so doesn't cause issues at a passing point. The only thing it creates is the performance risk as you eat into the shorter turnarounds at Aberystwth, the ones with 14 odd minutes could probably absorb it.

 

[Greenback]

I would like to see all of these new stations built, but I'll believe it when I see it.

In Swansea, I'd imagine that a new Cockett station would be served primarily by he Pembroke Dock trains, perhaps with a few extras in the peaks. Landore deserves more trains due to the retail park and Liberty Stadium, but would it get them?

 

[Gareth Marston]

Why do you need new infrastructure? It is on the stretch between Dovey and Aberystwth so doesn't cause issues at a passing point. The only thing it creates is the performance risk as you eat into the shorter turnarounds at Aberystwth, the ones with 14 odd minutes could probably absorb it.

Having lived through the period from Sep 01 to Dec 08 when the Cambrian's punctuality was atrocious and you use to wait 20 minutes in Talerddig loop for a late running train in the opposite direction and have trains turn around at Wolverhampton constantly meaning people were stuck for 2 hours at Birmingham - we don't want a repeat.

There's still deep scars down here. I would love for ATW to stop opposite the proposed Bow St station site for a week as though the station was there and see what impact it does have rather than have £ millions spent and grand announcements only to find the thing trashes the lines performance.

 

[DarloRich]

They can have as many stations as they like in Wales - as long as the welsh assembly coughs up for them. Which they wont.

Cost of Minister considering new stations: negligible
Likelihood of that happening in run-up to election: high
Cost of actually building new stations: high
Likelihood of that happening after election: negligible

We have a winner! End of thread.

 

[Greenback]

I think i's very unlikely that all of these will come to pass, but perhaps mor elikely than the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth reopening

 

[Llanigraham]

Having lived through the period from Sep 01 to Dec 08 when the Cambrian's punctuality was atrocious and you use to wait 20 minutes in Talerddig loop for a late running train in the opposite direction and have trains turn around at Wolverhampton constantly meaning people were stuck for 2 hours at Birmingham - we don't want a repeat.

There's still deep scars down here. I would love for ATW to stop opposite the proposed Bow St station site for a week as though the station was there and see what impact it does have rather than have £ millions spent and grand announcements only to find the thing trashes the lines performance.

They don't need to physically stop there. The whole scenario can be programmed into the back-up system as an experiment to see how it copes, to work through any problems and to see where any alleviation needs to be made.
Knowing some of the Machy bods they have already do it!

 

[PR1Berske]

They can have as many stations as they like in Wales - as long as the welsh assembly coughs up for them. Which they wont.



We have a winner! End of thread.

There has to be a period of posts asking why the UK can't just go ahead building new stations before it's the real "end of thread"

 

[Envoy]

The announcement precedes the local elections. Believe it when you see it!
I wonder if Network Rail have taken into account the planned St.Mellons station when putting up the masts for the overhead lines? You would think that any track movement to accommodate a St.Mellons island platform between the relief lines would be done prior to the overhead lines.

Although the Ely Mill/Victoria Park Station is near to Waungron Park, it would be serving a different densely populated area - which is includes a major new development. Another factor is that it is on a local line that does not include long or even medium distance trains.

 

[Gareth Marston]

They don't need to physically stop there. The whole scenario can be programmed into the back-up system as an experiment to see how it copes, to work through any problems and to see where any alleviation needs to be made.
Knowing some of the Machy bods they have already do it!

The traincrew I've spoken to are all signing from the same hymn sheet about having turnaround times slashed.

 

[The Planner]

They don't need to physically stop there. The whole scenario can be programmed into the back-up system as an experiment to see how it copes, to work through any problems and to see where any alleviation needs to be made.
Knowing some of the Machy bods they have already do it!

Indeed, you don't need the train to stop, we can computer model it to see how long it requires and see the performance impact.