11/06/21

New plans designed to help connect and improve travel options for residents and commuters into Cardiff have been revealed.

The first stage of a Welsh Government study into the ‘North West Transport Corridor' - which runs from Rhondda Cynon Taff into the city centre via Talbot Green, Llantrisant, Plasdwr and Creigiau has been published.

Cardiff Council and RCT Council will now review the plans to investigate how they can best serve residents and commuters.

Included in the Welsh Government transport study (WelTAG) are a number of proposals designed to improve walking, cycling and public transport links with the wider city region by 2025.

These include:

• Increasing the number of services on the City Line to at least four trains an hour between Cardiff Central and Radyr;
• A new train station on the City Line at Ely Mill;
• Increasing the number of services on the South Wales Main Line, to improve services from Pontyclun;
• The delivery of Cardiff Parkway train station on the South Wales Main Line at Junction 34 off the M4 with a connecting train line enabling easier access to jobs west and east of the city;
• Improving the ability to swap travel modes from car to bus and or train, and to walking or cycling at train stations, transport hubs and park and ride services;
• Improving active travel, bus and rail interchange at Radyr train station on the City Line;
• A strategic bus park and ride service at Junction 33 off the M4 Motorway;
• A new Bus Rapid Transport route between central Cardiff and Junction 33 via Leckwith Road and the A4232;
• A bus gate and spur providing access from the A4232 (northbound and southbound) to Plasdwr;
• An active travel/bus and rail interchange at Waungron Park station on the City Line;
• A new Bus Rapid Transport route from Central Cardiff to Plasdwr via Cowbridge Road East, Waungron Park and Fairwater; and
• A new Bus Rapid Transport route from Junction 33 to Talbot Green via the A4119 with onward connections to housing in southern Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, Cllr Caro Wild said: "I'm delighted to see Welsh Government have taken on board many of the ideas identified in Cardiff's transport white paper. Like us they see the need to invest in public transport and active travel, as the city's population continues to grow.

"Welsh Government's WelTAG plan is only at an early stage, but it gives us the opportunity now to sit down with our colleagues at RCT Council to determine the best way forward for residents and commuters who are travelling in and out of Cardiff.

"Cardiff needs a public transport system which befits a growing capital city. Our White Paper laid out a clear route to delivering that system. Welsh Government's plans could help improve transport options into the city centre. It will create links to the new housing developments, which are delivering much-needed housing. It could also help deliver a greener, more sustainable and healthier future for our communities while reducing our reliance on the private car.

"Before the pandemic we all knew the rise in commuter numbers using cars was affecting the city, clogging up the roads at specific pinch points on the network, creating pollution and damaging our health. Now, we have the opportunity, working with our colleagues in Welsh Government, to link strategic sites in the north of the city with Cardiff city centre, and Rhonda Cynon Taf, making public transport a more viable and attractive option for both commuters and residents."

No formal decisions have been taken on what the routes or solutions will be, as the strategic options identified and short-listed will be assessed in future stages of the WelTAG process. The long-term vision and aspiration is to deliver a rapid transit public transport solution that connects the communities along the North West Corridor into the wider South Wales Metro.