Swansea Bay Metro project architect fears it will never happen

Plans for the Swansea Bay Metro network will not go ahead unless rail power is fully transferred to Wales, according to the project’s architect. The plan, which mainly involves utilizing existing railway tracks, was originally outlined as a vision by Professor Mark Barry of Cardiff University in 2017.

Since then, more detailed plans have been drawn up by the Welsh Government’s transport body, Transport for Wales (TfW), under the leadership of Ben George.

The key early stages of the proposed metro scheme will include new local services including:

• Pontarddulais to Swansea via Neath using the Swansea line and a new curve to connect with the South Wales main line.
• New stations at Pontlliw/Penllergaer, Felindre, Morriston, Llandarcy, Winch Wen and Landore to extend existing stations at Swansea High Street, Neath, Llansamlet and Pontarddulais.
• Pembrey and Berry Port to Swansea with a new station at Cockett to augment the station at Swansea High Street, Haverton and Llanelli.

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However, given the UK government’s significant lack of investment in rail improvement projects in Wales and the lack of impact of the two high-speed trains in Barnett – although the project is being scrapped and now only reaches Birmingham from London – Professor Barry said it was highly unlikely that a scheme that demonstrated strong value for money would be funded.

In New LinkedIn Blog Post Professor Barry says: “It’s a great plan. This will provide much greater public transport capacity, helping to achieve our modal shift objectives and enabling more open transit-oriented development (TOD) across the region, which will be improved through local development plans and the regional strategic development”.

However, he said, the project may have difficulty obtaining financing. He added: “Unfortunately, I’m not really sure that any of this can be implemented in the current climate and under the current constitutional arrangements in the UK, particularly in the rail sector. I see four main problems.

“Rail powers and funding are not transferred, so the Welsh Government does not have the capital resources on its own to implement the scheme. Transport is also not part of the Swansea Bay City Deal, so the plan has less authority in Westminster than it otherwise would. otherwise, unlike the status of the South Wales Metro in the City Deal for the Cardiff Metropolitan Region. Furthermore, the current impact of inflation on basic infrastructure and the perilous state of public finances suggest that this will not happen in the near future, if ever.”

He said the project also needed one or more champions on the ground. He asked: “Who are the local activists of this project (politicians, business groups, civil society, academia, etc.) who work every day to make it a reality?

“So whilst development work has created a great plan for the region, this simply won’t happen until the Welsh Government fully devolves rail powers and transfers all rail costs to England, as is happening in Scotland. This is all Network Rail England spending, not just HS2, which I have been defending since 2011, as outlined in my evidence to the Westminster Transport Committee’s high-speed rail review for the Cardiff trade association.

“The New Wales Railway Board may well approve this program, but it does not have access to the capital funding needed to implement it. “I know this is an issue of concern for Burns Delivery under Simon Gibson in relation to the significant improvements required on the South Wales main line in south east Wales.”

Burns Delivery should consider how to implement the recommendations of the Burns Commission, chaired by Lord Burns, which was set up by the Welsh Government to improve public transport in south-east Wales in 2018, following the decision not to proceed with the M4.

The commission recommended six stations along the South Wales Main Line at Newport Road in Cardiff, Newport West, Somerton, Llanvern and Magor and Ande. TfW has launched a consultation on the five stations project. There are also plans for a new mainline station on the St Mellons-Cardiff Parkway, which has also been approved by the Burns Commission and, if approved, will receive private funding.

The six stations were also recommended by the UK government under Sir Peter Hendy. The cost of delivering the five new stations has not yet been determined. However, this is not about the cost of building the stations, but about the significant investments required to replan the existing track, relocate the gantry platforms and modernize the support lines. This could result in a final bill of between £250m and £300m.

As the line is a non-transferred rail asset, the Welsh Government will rely on UK Government funding for the stations. Cardiff Parkway will cost approximately £120 million and will be integrated into the proposed 900,000 square meter Hendre Lakes business park. The Welsh Government, which holds a minority stake in the company responsible for the two projects, Cardiff Parkway Developments, has reopened a planning hearing into the projects.

Professor Barry said the UK’s failure to fund Wales’ rail infrastructure over the past 30 years had run into billions, which he described as a “scandal” and which he feared would continue without constitutional change. He added: “The announcement by the UK Government of the electrification of the North Wales Main Line at an unspecified future time and without any details does not materially alter this analysis. We should see all powers and funding for the railways (and the entire Barnet regime over English rail spending) transferred to the Welsh government.

“England’s regions also need a more structured allocation of English capital funds for important rail investments. Too many important decisions relating to the UK’s vital economic infrastructure are taken by a handful of politicians, councilors and bureaucrats in Westminster and Whitehall. It will never work everywhere on this island, especially in Wales.

“More strategically, from a UK perspective, we need to borrow to invest in essential economic infrastructure, meet our climate change commitments and support fairer economic development in the UK. Given the scale of the climate emergency, I believe the UK needs to borrow (e.g. war bonds) and invest at least £500 billion over 20 to 30 years to support investment in energy and transport infrastructure public”.

He said if Wales got its fair share of this long-term investment and more powers in Cardiff Bay, projects such as the Swansea Metro, along with the electrification and modernization of the South Wales Main Line – including new stations Burns and additional services to Bristol Cathedral Meads – could be proposed.

The transport expert said it could also fund other much-needed schemes in Wales such as the modernization/electrification of the North Wales main line, increasing the speed/capacity of the Marches line, the Cardiff Crossrail/Circle line, new stages of the South Wales Metro and rail innovation in the West.

Professor Barry said: “The construction of the Swansea Metro is therefore a political challenge, as well as a constitutional, economic and climate change challenge.

“I look at Keir Starmer (leader) of the Labor Party, Rachel Reeves (shadow chancellor) and Louise Hay (shadow transport secretary). I am sure that Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart is also on board, as evidenced by his contributions to the recent Swansea Assembly. Tips. I suspect he would also find common cause with people like Andy Burnham, Steve Rotherham and Tracey Braybin (English mayors) in calling for a fairer allocation of UK government funds for investment in essential economic infrastructure.”