AM Welcomes Exciting New Wales and Borders Rail Franchise

Cardiff South and Penarth Assembly Member Vaughan Gething has welcomed the new Wales and Border rail service franchise which will transform rail services across Wales. The new franchise will include the creation and running of the £738 million South Wales Metro.

KeolisAmey are the new providers and will take over the operation of the service from Arriva in October of this year. They have pledged to spend £800million on new trains and to increase capacity by two thirds. Sunday services will be increased by 61% with an additional 294 services across Wales, creating a true seven day a week service. It has also announced £194million to modernise Wales’ 247 stations and four new Cardiff light rail stations as part of the South Wales Metro. The new stations will be at Gabalfa, Crwys Road, Loudoun Square and the Flourish in Cardiff Bay.

It will connect all the major settlements in the Cardiff City region with a high capacity/frequency, affordable, ‘turn up and go’ urban metro. The Metro will include fast bus lanes, light rail or trams and electrified heavy rail. It also links with active travel – cycling and walking – to create a completely integrated network.

Vaughan Gething said “I welcome the exciting new Wales and Border rail franchise. Since my election to the Assembly in 2011 I have continually campaigned and supported the case for improved rail infrastructure across Wales. The new franchise will provide a safe and reliable rail service, improving capacity and the experience for passengers across Wales.

It is fantastic news for my constituency with new trains, services and stations, two of which will be in the constituency. There will be significant economic gains for the area and the wider South Wales region, including improved access to jobs and becoming a better place to do business. It will mean shorter journey times, better reliability, less overcrowding and a cleaner, greener way to travel”.

He added: “The Metro is not just about infrastructure; it is about people and the opportunities, services and facilities available to them. It is about connecting people and places. It provides us with a real window of opportunity to plan for a brighter economic future across South Wales.”