The regional transport consortium Sewta, the South East Wales Transport
Alliance, has launched a consultation on how it thinks services should be
improved in the region up to 2030. New services are proposed for the Ebbw
Valley line and new stations in south Gwent at Caerleon, St Mellons, Coedkernew
and Llanwern, along with additional rail services across the south east. Proposals
for the Ebbw Vale line include
extensions from Ebbw Vale Parkway to Ebbw Vale Town, from Llanhilleth to
Abertillery and from the Ebbw Vale line to Newport as well as new stations at
Crumlin and Pye Corner in Newport.
Under the SEWTA proposals additional services would also call at Severn
Tunnel Junction along with new services being proposed on the Abergavenny and
Chepstow line, and services between Caerphilly, Machen and Newport. A suggestion
has also been made to electrify the Abergavenny to Shrewsbury and Chepstow to
Gloucester lines. The plans also include the extension of the railway to Ebbw
Vale Town and plans to build a new station at Pye Corner which has already have
Welsh Government backing.
The capital costs are estimated for the schemes within the programme
average £19.5m per annum. Revenue costs would increase over the initial ten
years of the strategy to between £13m and £15m per year. Thereafter, increasing
revenues would offset additional costs. The majority of that benefit occurs in
2020, when electrification will reduce operating costs. Sewta is a consortium
made up of local authorities in the south east including all five Gwent
councils, so the projects would need funding from other sources and evidence of
support is being sought for the concept of a South East Wales Metro.
The closing date
for comments is September 30th 2013
For more information
visit www.sewta.gov.uk
The full report
is available at: http://www.sewta.gov.uk/other-documents/sewta-rail-strategy/
