ANOTHER BIG WESTMINSTER PROMISE

So there we have it - the Labour Westminster Government has committed itself to funding seven new train stations in Wales and has also endorsed a long-term pipeline of rail enhancement schemes worth billions of pounds. Good - get on with it! 

The current PM Keir Starmer has given his backing to a wish list of projects set out in a new vision document from Transport for Wales, which over the long term could see £14 billion worth of investments across Wales - although that will be a matter for future Westminster governments.

More immediately, he has confirmed that his Westminster government will provide the finance to deliver six new stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, as well as a new station at Deeside that will support efforts to increase the capacity and frequency of train services between north Wales and Merseyside

The five stations were recommended by the South East Wales Transport Commission, in the Burns Commission Report, which set up by the Welsh Government after it decided not to proceed with the £1 billon M4 Relief Road, and have an estimated cost of more than £300 million. 

These are: Magor and Undy; Llanwern; Cardiff East; Newport West; and Somerton. Along with the smaller Magor and Undy walkway station, each has an indicative price tag of £70 million. All are currently going through the design process ahead of planning. It is anticipated that the Magor station will be the first of the stations to be completed. 

This is good news - it just seems to have taken an age to get here. Although from a local perspective the absence of a commitment to build a railway station to service Caerleon remains disappointing - and shows a lack of any real vision. 

Yet the Labour Westminster Government’s announcement will have a more than a touch of déjà about it for many people in Wales. The new railway stations were already announced in last year’s Spending Review, with funding spread over a decade. Simply reheating old promises is far from the generational transformation that Wales was promised.

Most people in Wales are aware that our nation has been systematically short-changed on rail for decades, not least through the misclassification of HS2, which has deprived us of billions of pounds in consequential funding. 

So without correcting that injustice and devolving rail infrastructure powers in full, Wales will continue to be reliant on short-term funding cycles and overhyped announcements from Westminster - with the knowledge that the goal posts can be moved it the Westminster bubbles priorities change.

Rail funding is still not devolved unlike in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Manchester. As yet we don’t know when and where the money will actually come from. And there is no actual promise or commitment of £14 billion. 

Was we have is at best a “potential pipeline of future projects” which Transport for Wales expects to cost £14 billion. Again, the UK Government has not said it will allocate £14 billon. It has said it endorses the vision of these projects. 

The devil will lie in the details and the delivery. Westminster promised to electrify the main line from London to Swansea - but by the time the dust settled the promised electrification only got as far as Cardiff. That said but for Plaid’s intervention it would never have gone beyond Bristol. 

What we need is a truly transformative approach which would mean fair funding, full powers over rail, and a rail strategy that serves the whole of Wales. That’s what a vote for Plaid Cymru on 7th May 2026 will demand.

CAERLEON RAILWAY STATION

 

Interesting to note that the Labour in Wales controlled Newport City Council has finally backed the call for a railway station to be built serve Caerleon. this good news, Plaid Cymru in Newport has long called for a new railway station to serve Caerleon and Ponthir to be added to the original Burns Commission recommendations, which we are still waiting for,  as a matter of urgency.  

 

Many people in Newport, welcomed the commitment, a few years ago, to build new railway stations at Tredegar Park, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor. But we need ground broken sooner rather than later to bring the new railway stations into being, to provide alternative means of getting around our city and elsewhere. 

The new stations are an absolute necessity, but people have serious concerns that no railway station was proposed to serve Caerleon / Ponthir has been included in the plans, as this would a real asset to both communities.

 

While the original absence may have showed an alarming lack of understanding of local transport issues, or to literal linear focus on the problems of the M4 or it could be simply a glaring oversight. In this case it would ensure that the residents of Caerleon / Ponthir have little choice but to drive to Newport, Cwmbran and beyond even to reach another railway station. 

The lack of a proposed railway station to serve the communities of Caerleon / Ponthir still needs to be revisited as a matter of urgency if the Labour in Wales government are actually serious about providing decent integrated public transport for all parts of Newport and cutting congestion on the M4 and around our city.

 

DIWEDD / ENDS

 

Plaid Cymru and the SE Wales Metro

 

Plaid Cymru in Newport and Monmouthshire has long called for the existing railway stations to be significantly upgraded as part of the process of creating a functioning South Wales metro.  Plaid broadly welcomed the report of the South East Wales Transport Commission which has recommend ways to reduce congestion on the M4 motorway without building a new relief road around Newport.  Plaid has called greater investment in public transport, with a much better integration and coordination of rail and bus networks and integrated ticketing across all services – with the emphasis that it is needed sooner rather than later. 

PLAID CYMRU SAYS ‘GET ON WITH IT’

Plaid Cymru in Newport has condemned the pointless empty gesture from the Conservatives in Newport in relation to their efforts to have a referendum on the already rejected M4 Relief road - saying we need action to relieve the congestion that affects our city not empty words , waffle or pointless gestures. 

Plaid Cymru broadly welcomes the report of the South East Wales Transport Commission which recommends ways to reduce congestion on the M4 motorway without building a new relief road around Newport.  Plaid Cymru welcomes to call for more investment in public transport, a much better integration and coordination of rail and bus networks and integrated tickets across all services - and we need it now rather than later.

Jonathan T Clark, Plaid Cymru Newport West Senedd candidate said:

“We need practical action, not the pointless empty politics of gesture. We need ground broken to bring the new railway stations that will serve Newport into being, and provide alternative means of getting around our city, and we need it sooner rather than later.”

He said:

“Plaid Cymru welcomes the proposed railway station at Tredegar Park it’s an absolute necessity, but we have serious concerns that no railway station to serve Caerleon / Ponthir has been included, this would a real asset to both communities.” 

Jonathan added:

“Its absence could be interpreted to show a lack of understanding of local transport issues, to literal a linear a focus on the problems of the M4 or a simply a glaring oversight in this case ensuring that the residents of Caerleon / Ponthir have little choice but to drive to Newport, Cwmbran and beyond even to reach another railway station.” 

Jonathan concluded:

“The lack of a proposed railway station to serve the communities of Caerleon / Ponthir needs to be revisited as a matter of urgency if the commission and the Labour in Wales government are serious about providing decent integrated public transport for all parts of Newport and cutting congestion on the M4.” 

Daniel Llewellyn, Plaid Cymru Newport East Senedd candidate, said:

“Plaid Cymru in Newport warmly welcomes the recommendations to create Newport East station in Somerton, as well as long overdue plans new stations at Llanwern and Magor.” 

He added:

“From the perspective of Newport East, the proposed railway stations at Llanwern and Magor are an absolute necessity and with a more frequent affordable rail service.” 

Daniel concluded: 

“A new M48 junction connecting Severn Tunnel Junction to the east would sensibly provide direct bus access and would ease the pressure of car traffic on M4 junction 23A and the roads through Magor. In addition, adding additional bus bays outside Newport Central station would help to build connectivity.”

Plaid Cymru in Newport and Monmouthshire has long called for the existing railway stations to be significantly upgraded as part of the process of creating a functioning South Wales metro.

EBBW VALE AND BEYOND...

It is quite simple really - decisions about railway infrastructure development and spending upon our railways need to be made here in Cymru / Wales, not in Westminster. This already happens in England by default, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland by design. For this to happen in Cymru / Wale then full control of our railways, network rail operations and the network rail budget needs to be devolved to the Senedd.

11% of UK railways, 1% of Network Rail spend...

Thats the first step, a. Full control of planning processes in relation to infrastructure, full control of the all of the railways in Cymru / Wales and full control of network rail and the network rail budget for Cymru / Wales would simply be the first step towards actually giving our embryonic democracy all of the toolset required to do the job properly. 

While that’s not necessarily the relatively easy bit it would be a significant start. The slightly more difficult bit is electing a government that will actually use said tools to actually do the job - of improving, and developing our railway infrastructure.  We simply can not rely on Labour in Wales or any of the other Westminster focused / based political parties to make the case for further powers or to supply the will power and the vision to change things. 

One of the reasons why we have little choice but to use our cars and the M4 to get around Newport (and to go to work) is because of the lack of any reasonable alternative easily accessible means of public transport. Long before Corvid 19 came along, even the Welsh Labour government had finally run out of tired excuses and soft weasel words to hide their inaction and failure to deliver much beyond sound bites and logo laden graphic images. 

A ghost train...

The failure to connect the Ebbw Vale line to Newport means that commuters living in communities in the Ebbw Valley remain unable to travel directly to Newport (and beyond) by train and have little option but to use their cars. They are denied the opportunity of catching connecting trains to Newport, Bristol, London, Cheltenham and beyond as well as possibly travelling slightly more rapidly to Cardiff in the morning and evening as result of the failure to run a fast service direct from Abertillery to Cardiff as originally promised back in 2003. 

This leaves commuters no choice but to drive and feed the congestion of an already at times overcrowded M4. The Ebbw Vale line, at least to Cardiff, which reopened in 2008 (carried a years worth of anticipated passenger numbers in the first four months) has made a real difference to peoples lives. The new rail service failed to connect to Newport from day one despite the implied promises, hints and suggestions made before and since the railway line was reopened that it would. 

Nothing to see here, move along...

Somewhat ironically to all intents and purposes is already operating – as trains already run by stealth on occasions from Ebbw Vale into Newport and vice versa when regular maintenance occurs. The rail line and the signalling work fine – what we need is a regularly timetabled rail service - now rather than later. Long overdue decisions about our infrastructure could make a real and significant difference and begin the process of providing realistic alternatives to everyday car use. 

Elsewhere in our SE, the construction of new railway stations at Caerleon / Ponthir, Llanwern and Magor - with well planned walk routes, and ample safe, secure park and ride facilities would also make a real difference. Any railway stations should also include decent facilities - along with the reinstatement of a more functional bus service (that's directly connected to the new railway stations). 

Elsewhere in Europe where significant housing developments are planned the infrastructure - often railway stations, tram stops and transport hubs are constructed first before any houses are built - but just not here. We should see a real commitment from the new Senedd government in May 2021 to prioritise the addition of  infrastructure before any approval for proposed housing developments is given.

Our transport and infrastructure problems require political solutions and political decisions - something that will not come from the current incumbent inert Labour government in Cardiff Bay. With a post BREXIT (and hopefully a post Corona) world rapidly approaching- some hard sensible sustainable longer term choices need to be made with a degree of urgency - one of those should be to start work on (those parts of) the Metro that will make a real rapid difference to our lives and our communties.