The Western Gateway Partnership’s Rail Deal, which would be partly funded by central government, would also see half a dozen stations upgraded across the south west of England and south Wales
Ambitious plans to build 30 new train stations could transform the railways – halving journey times for more than five million Brits. The £11 billion project, which would be partly funded by central government, aims to improve connections between a slew of major cities and the surrounding rural areas while unlocking a staggering ‘£17 billion in economic benefits’.
If given the green light, the Western Gateway* Partnership’s Rail Deal will also see an additional 23 services per hour launched as well as half a dozen stations upgraded across the south west of England and south Wales. It would see journeys from Bristol to London reduced to just one hour, while Bristol to Cardiff will be hammered down to 30 minutes.
In Western Gateway’s Strategic Rail Vision document, published yesterday, plans to electrify up to 460km of lines were also announced – saving 29kT CO2e annually as part of the rail network’s net-zero targets. The improved infrastructure will also ‘enable more people and freight to use the network, helping to drive mode shift’.
“The Western Gateway area is poised to be the fastest-growing region outside of London, yet it has not had the critical investment in public transport infrastructure that other areas of the country have seen, particularly in rail,” said Sarah Williams-Gardener, Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership. “This Rail Deal is deliverable and proportionate to the extraordinary offer that our economy presents to the UK.
“We recognise that we need to have clear strategic priorities to make sure we are ready to deliver the change we need at pace. This deal shows we are serious and is a demonstration of collective will from across our local leaders, MPs, our transport bodies and the industry that is ready to deliver our area’s ambitions.”
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Dan Aldridge, MP for Weston-super-Mare – whose local station would undergo major improvements – welcomed the bold plans. “Infrastructure is so important. I’ve used Weston and Worle stations for most of my life, and it has needed urgent upgrades for 14 years,” he said. “Our rail networks connect communities, boost our economy, and bring people together. As we build more homes so families can live better lives, we must ensure the infrastructure is there, too.”
Dan Okey, Head of Regional and Welsh Development at Great Western Railway, championed rail connectivity’s role in ‘supporting our communities and the plans for sustainable economic growth’. “At GWR we believe in looking to the future of our services, our trains and our network to make the railway more inclusive, more accessible and a more attractive proposition for customers,” he added. “That is the ultimate ambition presented in this Rail Deal and we look forward to working with our partners at Western Gateway, Network Rail and across the industry to make it a reality.”
*The Western Gateway is comprised of two governments and 28 local authorities.
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