Just hope to god they don't let Arriva get the franchise. If they do the metro will be over before a shovel hits the ground.
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Seems things are happening, at a snails pace as ever, but it's progress.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-37634693
I can't help wondering how far £600m will go, I mean St David's 2 cost more than that. How can you build an extensive public transport system for less than the price of a shopping centre?
Just hope to god they don't let Arriva get the franchise. If they do the metro will be over before a shovel hits the ground.
Where on earth would a light-rail system go? I think I remember from previous ccmb-debates that light rail can't run on the existing heavy rail tracks. Would they just replace the entire rail system??
And I can't see trams going anywhere in the centre without causing a stupid level of traffic chaos (roadworks for the best part of a decade, changes to all the major roads, etc). The only place it would work would be from the back of Central Station directly to the Bay (and even that would be a stretch).
What's the bet they spend loads on planning/consultancy and then scrap the entire plan in a few years.
I doubt we'll ever see electrification of the valley lines, in particular when we leave the EU. The cost alone will prevent it from being any sort of reality and it would take decades to recoup a fraction of the cost.
There are issues to sort out, like integrated tickets and who gets what. Transport providers in South Wales make little profit as things stand. Some of the £600million would have to subsidise that.
There's no way the £600m will create the infrastructure needed for the metro. None at all.
we need new stations on the lines that are already there, St Mellons, Rumney and Pengram Green would make a huge difference to the traffic on newport road and there is a service to Ebbw Vale that would use these stations. The same with Ely (Birdie Lane) and St Fagans station serviced by Measteg trains. the big one for City fans would be Canton opposite the Ty Pwll Coch pub which would link the mainline with City line so fans from Bridgend Pencoad and others could avoid Cardiff Central to get to games!!! No plans on Metro map for a line serving Llanrumney, Pontpennau and the new estates at St Edryn and Churchlands before joining Rhymmey line at Cefn Onn Junction!!!!
Interestingly, at least two of the bidders are state owned companies. Had this been the case here, it may have already been built and / or we would've built it ourselves without pimping the contracts around the world.
Very sad when you think we introduced railways to the world.