Great Western Coffee Shop

TFW got a consultation for new local stations between Cardiff Central and Severn tunnel junction.  Part of the proposals is that they want to introduce at least a 40 minutely local stopping service with 1tph going to Cheltenham and another 1tph going to Bristol Zm TM in addition to the existing services.

The Bristol TM service would also serve the local stations between Bristol TM  and Filton Abbey Wood.

Let's hope they wire Filton bank.to Bristol TM.  TFW state trains would be 3 to 4 carriages and feature levels boarding so probably a variant of the class 756 rather than class 231s


https://railway-news.com/five-new-railway-stations-planned-for-south-east-wales/#:~:text=This%20consultation%20will%20last%20for,Llanwern%20and%20Magor%20and%20Undy.&text=In%20addition%2C%20TfW%20is%20seeking,Cardiff%2C%20Bristol%20and%20Cheltenham%20Spa.

Maybe TFW should consider having a staffed ticket office at  Lydney station first,

from 06:00am till 5pm Monday to Friday,

just like they do at Chepstow

Footfall at both stations between first train of the day and 08:40am monday to friday is exactly the same.

Very progressive stuff from TfW.  A stark contrast to the current situation in England.

Be interesting to see how the level boarding works at the likes of Bristol TM  with the curved platforms still i think rail user of Bristol will love a class 756

More information and the consultation here:
https://haveyoursay.tfw.wales/sew-new-stations-and-services

Mark

30 minute service ...
Cardiff Central, Cardiff East, Newport West, Newport Central, Somerton, Llanwern Magor and Undy, Severn Tunnel Junction, Pilning, Aztec West, Patchway, Filton Abbey Wood, Ashley Down, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Temple Meads

30 minute service ...
Cardiff Central, Cardiff East, Newport West, Newport Central, Somerton, Llanwern Magor and Undy, Severn Tunnel Junction, Caldicot, Chepstow, Lyndney, Blakeney, Newnham, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa

30 minute service ...
Cardiff Central, Newport Central, Severn Tunnel Junction, Aztec West, Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Temple Meads, Bath Spa, and (alternate) major stations to Portsmouth and all stations to Southampton Central.

Ah - one can dream. 

Made a trip over the bridge to one of the in person events.

So I asked a few questions.

1)cost 250 to 300 million pounds

2)time line for completion 2029

3)Cardiff Parkway is at an environment appeal stage and will be the only station which will have ticket gates installed

In the past few days population increase for England Scotland Northern Ireland and Wales has been published.

England 6 per cent increase
Scotland 5 per cent increase
N.I. 4 per cent increase
Wales ONE per cent increase 

Maybe its not that people in Wales are not using the train,

maybe there ain't the passengers in wales anymore, and they have now moved away from Wales.

There are still plenty of people - around 1.5 million people in the Cardiff City Region, something like 40% of the Welsh population and growing. Swansea Bay adds another 600k.

Investments in rail seem well justified - the geography is well suited to it, plenty of workers, countryside and reasonably priced property ripe for gentrification. A long time ago I rather tongue-in-cheek suggested that the English Conservatives should happily pay for electrification of the railways of South Wales to turn them into commuter belt and break the stronghold of Labour - looks like the Welsh Assembly might be doing it for them.

As for migration, interesting piece here on why Welsh kids leave https://news.sky.com/story/why-young-welsh-people-are-leaving-the-places-they-grew-up-in-to-live-elsewhere-12970170 (https://news.sky.com/story/why-young-welsh-people-are-leaving-the-places-they-grew-up-in-to-live-elsewhere-12970170), whilst the rhetoric around incomers and second home owners plus tax penalties is off-putting to anyone thinking of moving to Wales (e.g. Unlike England, the additional 3% stamp duty and CGT on sale applies if you have an existing property anywhere in the world). Of course it's up to the Welsh what rules they enact.

Anyway, will be great to see the new network, and hopefully a similar treatment for Bristol's railways won't be too far behind.
 

BBC2 WALES at 8pm on Wednesday night 25 October,

has an item about the amount of Welsh young rugby players

learning about how to improve their game at Hartpury college.