Didnt know where to put this. So I put it here as its to do with isolation. Pretty bleak film about life in the valleys, with not much confidence that the Works or the race track will help.

"There are fewer than 60,000 adults in Blaenau Gwent. Each month almost 10,000 prescriptions are issued for anti-depressants. It is a statistic so shocking it is hard to comprehend."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23028078

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/plan-overhaul-welsh-rail-network-5692680

A multi-million pound plan for an overhaul of the rail network in South East Wales that could see new stations built and more services added has been unveiled for consultation.

The strategy unveiled for consultation by regional transport consortium the South East Wales Transport Alliance (Sewta) – which represents 10 councils across Wales – calls for the opening of up to 17 new stations and for electrification to be rolled out to the whole rail network in the region by 2030 as part of a move towards a South Wales Metro system.


If there's one thing South Wales has going for it, it's our rail network It's the M4 relief, Cardiff link road and Cardiff Airport which need sorting out though!

If all those plans go ahead it would be brilliant for South Wales. Extracting the necessary money out of the non-devolved rail budget should be a top priority.

Obviously, extending the Cynon Valley line to Hirwaun is the most important first step.

Unfortunately, not only have they dug up the rail line between Hirwaun and Glynneath, they also built the A465 on top of it. So I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

This line used to run through rhigos and there was also a line from merthyr through llwydcoed to hirwaen.

If these links were re made, and electrified, then aberdare and merthyr , the 13th and 14th largest towns in Wales, would have commutable links to both cardiff AND swansea. Which I think would be excellent.

The Aberdare to Merthyr rail tunnel is still intact and passable, once you break into it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNUoT1jNjI8

If we are into fantasy railways in S Wales, and a route that could utilise old tunnels (if they are still in one piece), extend the line at the top of the Rhondda through Blaencwm, reopen the tunnel through to Blaengwynfi at the top of the Afan valley, down to Cymmer and then use the tunnel south to Maesteg. Grand circle of the valleys and back to Cardiff.

Actually, scrap the last century's technology, let's replace the valleys lines with a hyperloop.

Merthyr to cardiff in less than 2 minutes.
Cardiff to swansea in less than 5.

Cardiff to london in less than 15.

Hmmmm,

 HS2 'losers' revealed 

This may have been askes elsewhere on this extensive thread, so apologies if so - but does anyone know how the electrification is going to tie in with Arriva's franchise agreement running out in the middle of the proposed timeframe?

I'm pretty sure Arriva aren't going to want to get hold of a load of new rolling stock and re-train a load of their staff, only to lose the franchise 12 months later - will they be seeking an extension?

Also as the trains are apparently cheaper to run and maintain, surely that would effect the future franchise agreements?

To me it seems daft for the government to spend all this money updating the network for a private company to gain a significant proportion of the benefit - especially one which sends all its profits to Germany to subsidise their system.

Personally I would prefer that as each line is electrified it reverts to state ownership, then when the whole system is complete, it can either be re-franchised as a complete unit, or continued to be run by the state (my preference - not Jantra's I'm guessing)

Network Rail appear to be developing/clearing a slither of wasteland adjacent to the South Wales Mainline behind a row of 12-14 houses on Landsdowne Road. It's probably connected with the ongoing signalling work, just thought I'd mention it in case it turns to be something far more interesting (unlikely, I know!)

Not really relevant to this thread, but thought I'd mention that I read on the weekend in the papers that Milton Keynes are ploughing ahead with an Ultra pod transport system - looks identical to the one that Cardiff turned down about a decade ago.

This is part of the CASR program - dualling the Ninian Loop (I think that is what it is called). This would massively increase capacity of City Line and allow trains to run from Ponty to Cardiff via City Line, taking pressure off main line through Llandaff & Cathays to Queen Street.

Another minor improvement to the S. Wales metro to be has been given the go-ahead:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-25962533

Maybe a total of 65 cars a day off the M4 for good measure (size of the car park).

What needs doing? A track does run from the proposed station to Newport station through a tunnel. Does the tunnel need strengthening? Is it the tracks? Or capacity at Newport itself?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/passengers-cardiff-heathrow-less-two-6678340

Good news about not having to double back on yourself and knocking off nearly an hour to get to one of the world's major airport hubs

Change at Reading then, not a direct train:

"Precise plans for the new route have not been made public but according to Network Rail it would “allow passengers to travel from Reading, via Slough, to Heathrow airport via a direct train service.”" (for above link).

It also looks like it will only go to T5, so another train change to get to the other terminals.

Still better than what we have.

Ok, well time for another wild speculation based on a few lines on a website!:

"The new plan would see a normal service that passengers get for the Swansea to London Paddington route up until Reading.

It would then turn off at a newly created junction created between Langley and Iver stations and go through a 5km tunnel to reach Heathrow Terminal 5."

Does this suggest there will be less direct trains from Cardiff to Paddington? Could they want to use the existing train slots and divert course after Reading? Change at Reading for London? It's called a spur, that and the geography suggest it will not be rejoining the mainline after it calls through Heathrow.

My guess it will be additional services.

Almost certainly it has to be an additional service in the main. Reading, apart from the mainline to S Wales and Bristol has services running through it from Cornwall (except at present) and Taunton to London, Bournemouth and Southhampton to Manchester and Newcastle respectively, Oxford and Banbury and more local services from Guildford. Any planning for the additional route must rely on passengers from these routes also.

Wharever materialises a lot can change in 7 years.

Wasn't sure where to post this, but here's a photo on the progress of Queen Street Station taken from Brunel House. I was hopeful of something nicer than the bus shelter type platform cover. Oh well.

I wonder if the new rail developments at Birmingham, Kings Cross, Reading et al will all have similar architectural styles?

They are all very different looking as i think you were alluding to, with the amount of money spent on those developments and others around the country you cant help but feel someone didn't fight hard enough to get what we deserve.

I'm all a quiver in anticipation of using the facilities at this exciting new transport development.

This is exactly the kind of infrastructure development that will give us a competitive edge against our rivals.

Perhaps all the Welsh Labour voting sheeple catching the trains up the Valleys will take the time to reflect upon what their elected representatives have failed to deliver for them whilst they are getting regularly soaked waiting for the trains from the new platform - although I doubt it.....

Maybe it's the gods way of telling people that they shouldn't be living in the valleys?

Network Rail have confirmed that the bus shelters are it, no plans for any platform canopy. I was hoping that might come with the new station building.

Fourth rate Wales then?

That is really poor, I wonder if the quality of the new platform at central will be the same.

oh well that's progress for you!!





can someone - somewhere please get shot!!!

Interesting doc on the council's webite:

http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/committeebrowsernew.asp?$state=meeting&$committee=12950&$meetingdate=21/02/14

"Cardiff Capital Region Metro Proposals: Strategic Implications For Cardiff"

Mark Barry's report and Council's response to it. I think we've seen most of this beofre, but something that caught my eye that I've not noticed before appears to be a suggestion in one of the maps (figure 9) that the line from Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay (via a new Callaghan Sq station, then a new Bute Street station), is extended westwards. It is hard to tell as it is a small map, but it looks like the suggestion is it could in some way go past the Red Dragon Centre, past the existing road junction at the south of Central Link and then - as it looks - join up with the existing industrial use line moving west past Ocean Way and Rover way before turning North through Splott (with two new stations in the Splott area, I guess north and south of Splott Park) and then joining the Great Western mail line heading towards Newport. This would give a direct link from Newport and all new stations in between with Cardiff Bay, followed by Callaghan Sq and maybe further North or West after that.

Quite how they link up from Cardiff Bay to the existing line near Roath Dock Road I'm not sure. I guess if a new Eastern Bay Link Road gets built then it will involve a lot of work in that area and maybe a train/tram option could be included. All very future orientated at the moment.

Linking in this industrial use line would also allow the existing train link south of Roath Dock that currently terminates very close to the BBC studios car park to become a passanger line supporting that part of the bay, and this is also listed as a potental new station on the map. Indeed, you could even imagine this being extended down towards the DR Who exhibition, although this is not included on the map.

Neither of these possibilities are listed as priority lines to develop, and in my scan read I did not see them discussed in the text. I mention it as I do not recall seeing this suggestion before, and thought it might catch a few imaginations.

Paul I think you're being a bit harsh. As aesthetically pleasing as the Taff vale railway station was, the Victorian architecture needs to be considered against the post modern avant garde queen street station we have now. In years to come olso's centralstation, berlin's hauptbahnhof and cardiffs queen street will share the same first page in the greatest early 21st century railway stations almanac.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-26278278

This seems to be gathering pace. The guy from Admiral talks a lot of sense - European money has been generally wasted upto now and should be used on schemes like this.

With major road and rail improvements planned for South Wales are politicians finally waking upto the realities of what is required to drag us into the 21st century or will they revert to type and provide only a fraction of the funds required and put the rest into free community centres in Abernowheres across the country come election time?

The reporter seems to recognise that the future of the valleys is as a residential 'commuter belt' with a large population available if the transport links are upgraded. I think people need to understand that due to geography, economics, demographics and many other reasons the jobs that can be attracted to the valleys will never meet the requirements and we need to make it a pleasant place to live with quick and easy access to the jobs in a growing M4-Cardiff/Newport area. Similar to some of the old mill towns and villages of Yorkshire and their relationship with Leeds, Huddersfield etc only better!

Is this a worrying development. My understanding was the UK government were financing the GWML and the welsh government were financing the valley lines? Is this the welsh government looking to back out of the deal it has committed to?

WTF - is this a fortnight early for the April Fool's slot?

I'm speechless that there could be any misunderstanding about who was going to be financing a nine figure infrastructure upgrade. Jantra- have you hacked into the BBC site to upload a fake story?

All this within an hour of me watching the massive transport infrastructure work under way in Manchester on Channel 4 news. Boo hoo.

I don't know what was agreed, but since transport is not a devolved matter then surely it would be up to the Westminster to foot the bill?

Surely as a Network Rail project this is funded through central government? If it's to be funded by WG will it ever actually come to fruition?