South Wales 'Metro' updates

[TT-ONR-NRN]

That's because arranging ticket acceptance with Cardiff Bus is a perfectly good substitute for trains. Apparently.

Who run from an obscure location actually closer to Central than Queen Street. It takes fifteen minutes to walk there and then there's a wait of up to half-an-hour for a bus taking twenty minutes.

 

[Bob Price]

Here is one minute showing the work at Cardiff Bay and the new station at Butetown. Taken from a 153 earlier today.

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[Bald Rick]

Who run from an obscure location actually closer to Central than Queen Street. It takes fifteen minutes to walk there and then there's a wait of up to half-an-hour for a bus taking twenty minutes.

Personally, i dont see the problem with walking. Its 15 mins from Central.

 

[CardiffKid]

Personally, i dont see the problem with walking. It’s 15 mins from Central.

Seconded.

For those travelling from the Valleys Central is only 3 minutes longer on the train so it’s hardly out of the way and the Number 6 (with ticket acceptance goes from there). For those coming from east and west it saves going via Queen Street.

I think one of the few people inconvenienced by this is TT ORN NRN on his Cathays to Bay commute.

 

[WesternBiker]

Here is one minute showing the work at Cardiff Bay and the new station at Butetown. Taken from a 153 earlier today.

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Thank you - that’s really helpful to those of us watching from afar!

 

[Signal_Box]

Here is one minute showing the work at Cardiff Bay and the new station at Butetown. Taken from a 153 earlier today.

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What’s the 2nd station ?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What’s the 2nd station ?

Cardiff Bay

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Nov 2023 ==

Here is one minute showing the work at Cardiff Bay and the new station at Butetown. Taken from a 153 earlier today.

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That road is terrifying to walk along at night. Two of my colleagues have been mugged on Bute Street and one of my other colleagues’ mates was stabbed down there. Another has had his bike stolen. The new tram station will become a breeding ground for anti social behaviour.

 

[Bob Price]

What’s the 2nd station ?

It was going to be called Louden Square but I believe it's now going to be named Butetown. It's designed to serve the top end of Butetown a bit better than the Cardiff Bay terminus station does.

 

[Peter Sarf]

........................

That road is terrifying to walk along at night. Two of my colleagues have been mugged on Bute Street and one of my other colleagues’ mates was stabbed down there. Another has had his bike stolen. The new tram station will become a breeding ground for anti social behaviour.

Ah yes Bute Street, been warned about that. A totally different demographic on the other (East) side of the lines making that a better walking route.
I wonder - will the railway station at Butetown open up opportunities for those on the West side to carry out their activities on the East side ?.

 

[MikePJ]

Here is one minute showing the work at Cardiff Bay and the new station at Butetown. Taken from a 153 earlier today.

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Thanks! Nice to see a couple of overhead line supporting stanchions have gone in.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Ah yes Bute Street, been warned about that. A totally different demographic on the other (East) side of the lines making that a better walking route.
I wonder - will the railway station at Butetown open up opportunities for those on the West side to carry out their activities on the East side ?.

I doubt it will make much difference. There already a subway (a former canal tunnel) linking Bute Street and Lloyd George Avenue pretty close to the site of the new station.

While I wouldn't choose to walk along Bute Street at night a lot of its repuatation is historic. It's really no more dangerous or unpleasant than some other roads in the vicinity. It's not for nothing that Dumballs Road is known as Heroin Alley to students at Cardiff & Vale College!

 

[Peter Sarf]

I doubt it will make much difference. There already a subway (a former canal tunnel) linking Bute Street and Lloyd George Avenue pretty close to the site of the new station.

While I wouldn't choose to walk along Bute Street at night a lot of its repuatation is historic. It's really no more dangerous or unpleasant than some other roads in the vicinity. It's not for nothing that Dumballs Road is known as Heroin Alley to students at Cardiff & Vale College!

Crickey. Dumballs Road - the Police Station for Cardiff is at the South End of it !. Now I remember shepherding the 8 years old GD past some dodgey people at the opposite end !. An area to avoid.

On the subject of walking to Cardiff Bay from Cardiff town centre. If it is so easy to walk then why bother with a train (tram) service ?. I really hope it gets extended deeper into the bay area soon as there are then more tempting destinations. My dream is across the barrage and up the (steep) hill into Penarth.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Crickey. Dumballs Road - the Police Station for Cardiff is at the South End of it !. Now I remember shepherding the 8 years old GD past some dodgey people at the opposite end !. An area to avoid.

On the subject of walking to Cardiff Bay from Cardiff town centre. If it is so easy to walk then why bother with a train (tram) service ?. I really hope it gets extended deeper into the bay area soon as there are then more tempting destinations. My dream is across the barrage and up the (steep) hill into Penarth.

I would imagine many people are travelling form further afield. When the tram trains start running, half will be terminating in Cardiff Bay from the 3 main valleys termini as well.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Personally, i dont see the problem with walking. Its 15 mins from Central.

After 9am to 11pm as an overworked Sous Chef at the Bay, believe me, those fifteen minutes will feel like two hours.

Ah yes Bute Street, been warned about that. A totally different demographic on the other (East) side of the lines making that a better walking route.
I wonder - will the railway station at Butetown open up opportunities for those on the West side to carry out their activities on the East side ?.

Lloyd George Road on the other side of the line is a lot safer and my preferred walking route of choice when the line is closed.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

On the subject of walking to Cardiff Bay from Cardiff town centre. If it is so easy to walk then why bother with a train (tram) service ?. I really hope it gets extended deeper into the bay area soon as there are then more tempting destinations. My dream is across the barrage and up the (steep) hill into Penarth.

It is meant to be extended - but in the opposite direction to join the currently goods only docks branch. The idea is that that would provide a passenger loop through southern Cardiff from St Mellons to Central,leaving the main line at Newport Road. We'll see of anything comes of it.

As far as your dream goes the problem is that steep hill you mention! At the time the barrage was built, there were plans for a boardwalk / land train at the foot of the cliffs to join the barrage to Penarth Esplanade. Unfortunately the scheme was dropped on cost grounds.

Looking at the work currently taking place, they do seem to be attempting to future-proof things to keep all options open. Otherwise,as you suggest, there would be little need for such expansive works.

 

[Signal_Box]

It was going to be called Louden Square but I believe it's now going to be named Butetown. It's designed to serve the top end of Butetown a bit better than the Cardiff Bay terminus station does.

Ah oaky, looks very close to the current Bay station you could probably park a HST down there and walk through between the two !

 

[Envoy]

Wonder how they plan to get the Metro line from the Central station car park to the Bay line?

 

[anthony263]

Wonder how they plan to get the Metro line from the Central station car park to the Bay line?

On street I believe. Personally I would have built a viaduct over the car park and road

 

[positron]

Wonder how they plan to get the Metro line from the Central station car park to the Bay line?

The car park is being demolished and the road layout is going to be changed based on what I've read. I think it's street level from Callahan square onwards but there will obviously need to be a ramp to get across Bute street and down to street level.

Weird to me that they don't put it on the land adjacent to the road and then it's just the Penarth road junction they need to contend with.

 

[MikePJ]

On street I believe. Personally I would have built a viaduct over the car park and road

At street level but probably not "on street" in the sense of having the trams in a live traffic lane, as this'll be very prone to disruption. Most likely the trams will run in a dedicated lane adjacent to the road or in the pedestrian area of Callaghan Square itself.

 

[CardiffKid]

At street level but probably not "on street" in the sense of having the trams in a live traffic lane, as this'll be very prone to disruption. Most likely the trams will run in a dedicated lane adjacent to the road or in the pedestrian area of Callaghan Square itself.

No firm plans yet, but potential plans unveiled years ago had exactly that with two new ground level platforms in the car park at the back/south side of the station. The plans also had the track continuing through the currently being built brewery quarter - no idea if that route is protected.

 

[anthony263]

No firm plans yet, but potential plans unveiled years ago had exactly that with two new ground level platforms in the car park at the back/south side of the station. The plans also had the track continuing through the currently being built brewery quarter - no idea if that route is protected.

I think it is plus a dive u der at Cardiff West Junction they want to build

 

[Snow1964]

Some updates from Senedd.
MSs questioned representatives of Transport for Wales about passenger numbers, new trains and a review of timetables.

The Senedd’s climate change committee took evidence from James Price, chief executive, as part of its annual scrutiny of Transport for Wales (TfW).

Mr Price told MSs a £100 million funding gap has come from a lack of revenue growth due to the pandemic, saying: “What we have lost is three years of expected high growth….

“While we will recover, I don’t imagine that we will recover overnight.”

Mr Price explained that TfW’s cost base is lower than the forecast of KeolisAmey, which previously operated the Wales and Borders franchise.

He said: “It would be very easy and I would almost expect people to believe that the public sector … would be more expensive than the private – that is demonstrably not the case.”

Mr Price warned that the biggest constraint on TfW’s ambition is infrastructure as he raised concerns about a reduction in Network Rail’s funding.

Passenger numbers​

Huw Irranca-Davies, a Labour backbencher, asked about recovery of passenger numbers in Wales compared with other parts of the UK.

Mr Price said demand numbers bounced back quicker than in England, which has since caught up while Wales has plateaued.

He told the committee that growth seems to have “taken off” in the past six weeks, with a significant jump in revenue.

Highlighting the challenges, he said: “The last few days on core valleys lines we have left people behind at Llandaff … which is reminiscent of pre-Covid times.

“Demand is there which is good because we’re about to be putting on significant extra capacity on the metro.”

New trains​

South Wales East MS Delyth Jewell, for Plaid Cymru, asked about the target of 95% of journeys being on new trains by the end of 2024.

Mr Price said he has double checked the plausibility of the target as it felt too ambitious.

However, he maintained that while it is tight, it is an achievable target – with train manufacturer CAF delivering a new train every 11-12 days.

He told committee members that TfW should have electric metro trains running on all Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil services by next summer.

Mr Price suggested the previous bid process for the Wales and Borders franchise created an unhealthy set of expectations.

The chief executive said the TfW will hit nearly all the KeolisAmey targets but two or three years later than expected.

He said: “My preference would be to be boringly reliable and 100% trustworthy rather than in a shiny suit offering people stuff then explaining away why they don’t get some of it.”

Mr Price explained that TfW will aim to avoid duplication when bus services are re-regulated, so trains and buses are not competing on the same routes.

Timetables​

Asked about a review of timetables, he stressed that TfW has not set out to take away any significant services but he warned of some minor negative impacts.

“People take life choices around the railway,” he said.

Mr Price told MSs that the Welsh Government is considering the proposed changes and TfW will then consult the public.

Jan Chaudry-Van Der Velde, chief operations officer, added that any change for services outside of the valley lines would take effect from December 2024 at the earliest.

He said TfW has rushed through exceptional changes to the Wrexham-Bidston line, increasing frequency to one train every 45 minutes from December.

Jenny Rathbone, the Labour MS for Cardiff Central, asked about previous evidence that the north and south Wales metros are largely just a concept.

Mr Price said: “We can develop all the schemes in the world but if we can’t get them funded, they won’t happen.”

TfW bosses quizzed on passenger numbers, new trains, and timetables

The Senedd’s climate change committee took evidence from chief executive James Price as part of its annual scrutiny of Transport for Wales (TfW).

caerphilly.observer

 

[Envoy]

Some updates from Senedd.
MSs questioned representatives of Transport for Wales about passenger numbers, new trains and a review of timetables.

TfW bosses quizzed on passenger numbers, new trains, and timetables

The Senedd’s climate change committee took evidence from chief executive James Price as part of its annual scrutiny of Transport for Wales (TfW).

caerphilly.observer

Being discussed here as the meeting dealt not just with The Metro:> https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/tfw-bosses-appear-before-senedd-committee.258150/

 

[MikePJ]

More Cardiff Bay pictures, taken from the platform side. Note the new platform surface which provides a level area at the correct height.

 

[Bob Price]

A couple of photos north of Heath. Looking from the bridge at Llanishen station towards the city, showing masts up. The second is looking up from Fidlas road showing a mast with a bracket - there are a couple of these.

 

[positron]

More Cardiff Bay pictures, taken from the platform side. Note the new platform surface which provides a level area at the correct height.

The lack of tactile paving on that new surface is slightly odd. I assume they'll add it in future but just seems odd to resurface without doing it properly.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Nov 2023 ==

A couple of photos north of Heath. Looking from the bridge at Llanishen station towards the city, showing masts up. The second is looking up from Fidlas road showing a mast with a bracket - there are a couple of these

Wonder if there's much progress on coryton branch. Maybe they could focus on that branch for the 756s to run the city line services?

 

[Bob Price]

Wonder if there's much progress on coryton branch. Maybe they could focus on that branch for the 756s to run the city line services?

When I was up there the other day there was ducting in place for the electrics but no sign of any masts at the Whitchurch end.

 

[MikePJ]

The lack of tactile paving on that new surface is slightly odd. I assume they'll add it in future but just seems odd to resurface without doing it properly.

That is odd, certainly! The new section of platform has it, so perhaps this is a temporary arrangement and a new platform surface will be added later.

 

[positron]

That is odd, certainly! The new section of platform has it, so perhaps this is a temporary arrangement and a new platform surface will be added later.

Ah yeah that would make sense. Looks like they've changed the track so potentially they needed to update the existing bit temporarily to keep compliant.

Nice to see the rotten old wooden buffer stop replaced.