Swansea Metro ?

[backontrack]

Great little map - well done.

Thanks

I like the Dylan Thomas reference you made.

I can't have been the first person to have an idea for a reopened line to Pontardawe. I don't know much about the old railways of the area (thanks for the enlightening info) so I'd be interested to see how much it is mentioned by people. It does seem like a good way of connecting up some quite large settlements to their nearest centre.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

And Swansea is not an "average sized town" but the second largest city in Wales.

A pretty average sized populace to warrant a metro system.
Bringing back the tram up Constitution Hill as a tourist attraction is unlikely but might just work. The Mumbles Railway is never coming back though I'm afraid.

 

[Busaholic]

The Mumbles Railway is never coming back though I'm afraid.

Big regret of mine that family holidays to the area only started a few weeks after its demise.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

There is some suggestion of an Amman Valley to Swansea service to be assessed as part of the WG 2018 budget (it is in the South Wales Guardian - now published in Gloucester not Ammanford - so treat with care) ..

As the Pantyffynon to Gwaun Cae Gurwen line has about a year left as a freight branch , the very least option would be to retain the track and give it some sort of preventative maintenance , to see whether in the future it can actually survive. The idea of some sort of "HoW" Metro down there -even if only a couple of trains a day ticks a lot of boxes - local jobs especially with a mini depot at PF where all the signalling etc remains for such use. Need massive subsidy of course - but then look at the Isle of Wight line ! - (dare I say - a couple of class 230 sets...)

 

[gareth950]

I'm usually in full agreement with Llanelli AM Lee Waters on transport in Wales, but I fail to see how hundreds of driverless vehicles carrying one or two people clogging up roads will be any different to people's own private vehicles clogging up roads and will do anything to tackle traffic congestion, or encourage people to choose more active travel options.
It sounds like he's effectively proposing a publicly owned driverless taxi system.

Swansea Metro should use driverless technology, says AM - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-43450762

 

[Envoy]

I'm usually in full agreement with Llanelli AM Lee Waters on transport in Wales, but I fail to see how hundreds of driverless vehicles carrying one or two people clogging up roads will be any different to people's own private vehicles clogging up roads and will do anything to tackle traffic congestion, or encourage people to choose more active travel options.
It sounds like he's effectively proposing a publicly owned driverless taxi system.

Swansea Metro should use driverless technology, says AM - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-43450762

The idea that driverless vehicles are going to solve the mass transit of people is absolutely crazy. If all the cars on the road today had some sort of smart technology that removed humans from making decisions, then the roads would be just as congested. What would happen if something went wrong with the vehicle - such as a bust tyre? A human in charge would hopefully bring the car to a halt in a as safe a place as is possible. Prof. Mark Barry - he being behind the south-Wales Metro - actually appeared on BBC Wales news last night saying that this was a ridiculous idea. Mind you, it was Mark Barry who has also proposed the Swansea Metro - with the new 'short cut mainline' into Swansea ploughing through streets in the St.Thomas area.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The Ministry of disinformation has been hard at it briefing the hacks at Walesonline to spin and spin.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/metro-schemes-intended-make-getting-14422829

This £1 billion proposal would open Swansea up with surrounding towns and communities by creating new stations and sections of new rail line, and linking them with existing ones.

Jam Tomorrow everyone!

The minister said £77 million had been invested in the project to date, including upgrades at Ebbw Vale

Upgrades already at Ebbw Vale Minister are you sure? Are these the upgrades everyone is expecting or some newly defined ones?

electrification of the core Valley Lines

by definition the core valley lines are the most important and should be prioritized and other lines are what peripheral valley lines? Keep spinning it even though no one in the rail industry had heard of the phrase core valley lines until it was invented in Cardiff Bay last year.

But whats this the bogey man may derail it all!

But UK Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, has questioned the planned Valley Lines electrification — and Transport for Wales cannot award any contracts until the UK Government transfers powers over the Wales & Borders franchise, along with control of rail assets, to the Welsh Government.

Overspends on the electrification of the Great Western main line from London Paddington to Cardiff may also worry South Wales Metro observers.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

What a shambles - however , if there is a bright point , I hope some of you listened to the Radio 4 item last week on the Valley Lines and the people who use it . Vox pop - staff and users - very heartening in my opinion abot what really is the end "output" folk that rely and work on the system.

I doubt if Skates or the Honourable MP for Epsom bother with such trivial things.

However , we can always take comfort from the recent past , with John Davies and the resurgence of the Valleys Lines - described so well in his "Peoples Railway" - let us hope that some common sense applies as it did in those dark days , when even the "flagship" Rhondda line was under threat north of Treorchy , and the now thriving Rhymney line was particularly ill served. He - at least, and his supporters knew what it was all about.

 

[gareth950]

The Ministry of disinformation has been hard at it briefing the hacks at Walesonline to spin and spin.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/metro-schemes-intended-make-getting-14422829



Jam Tomorrow everyone!



Upgrades already at Ebbw Vale Minister are you sure? Are these the upgrades everyone is expecting or some newly defined ones?



by definition the core valley lines are the most important and should be prioritized and other lines are what peripheral valley lines? Keep spinning it even though no one in the rail industry had heard of the phrase core valley lines until it was invented in Cardiff Bay last year.

But whats this the bogey man may derail it all!

I do love your posts Gareth! If only there was a like/love button on this forum!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I do love your posts Gareth! If only there was a like/love button on this forum!

Agreed - from the heart , truly , often from the heart of the Cambrian. (OK - not Oswestry) - please keep it up.

 

[Gareth Marston]

What a shambles - however , if there is a bright point , I hope some of you listened to the Radio 4 item last week on the Valley Lines and the people who use it . Vox pop - staff and users - very heartening in my opinion abot what really is the end "output" folk that rely and work on the system.

I doubt if Skates or the Honourable MP for Epsom bother with such trivial things.

However , we can always take comfort from the recent past , with John Davies and the resurgence of the Valleys Lines - described so well in his "Peoples Railway" - let us hope that some common sense applies as it did in those dark days , when even the "flagship" Rhondda line was under threat north of Treorchy , and the now thriving Rhymney line was particularly ill served. He - at least, and his supporters knew what it was all about.

A classic tale of what happens when low grade politicians make decisions based on their political priorities.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Agreed - from the heart , truly , often from the heart of the Cambrian. (OK - not Oswestry) - please keep it up.

Its almost at the stage now where folk are hoping that another bidder drops out or that Grayling derails the transfer of "core valley lines" so that Carwyn and Ken cant have their way and something sensible emerges from a ATW franchise extension and the children in the Bay stop playing with the train set.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Politicians at a macro level , caused the 1994 Act - at a Welsh National level , they are causing this shambles. I despair.

Dealt with both levels , so have some knowledge.

 

[gareth950]

Its almost at the stage now where folk are hoping that another bidder drops out or that Grayling derails the transfer of "core valley lines" so that Carwyn and Ken cant have their way and something sensible emerges from a ATW franchise extension and the children in the Bay stop playing with the train set.

Agreed. If it does all go through however and we get to May with everything still intact, I fear Carwyn and Ken will get their way. Even if another bidder did drop out, they would probably immediately award it to the remaining bidder left to avoid it all being scuppered.

A warning everyone - we are now getting our Metros mixed up. Don't forget the elusive North Wales Metro as well!

 

[Dai Corner]

Remember Ken Skates' constituency is Clwyd South. Surely he will want to do something for North Wales?

 

[Gareth Marston]

Remember Ken Skates' constituency is Clwyd South. Surely he will want to do something for North Wales?

The daily post and Wrexham leader will not re spin spin so something different will have to be tried up North to proclaim greAtness to the masses.

 

[J-Rod]

A tram/train would work with street running where required, mainly in the city centre. For much of the route along Oystermouth Road to the Mumbles I think it would be possible to run alongside the road.

...and then go up through the Clyne Valley, eventually joining up with the line at Gowerton (though the last mile or so might need some... thought).

The problem with my dear home-town, is that they kept the wrong station. Swansea Victoria would be much better suited to all of this, than High St. And High St is a horrid place to enter the city.

 

[Gareth Marston]

...and then go up through the Clyne Valley, eventually joining up with the line at Gowerton (though the last mile or so might need some... thought).

The problem with my dear home-town, is that they kept the wrong station. Swansea Victoria would be much better suited to all of this, than High St. And High St is a horrid place to enter the city.

Don't worry about the detail by calling "it" the magic word "metro" we can can keep spinning the mirage of doing something.

 

[J-Rod]

Don't worry about the detail by calling "it" the magic word "metro" we can can keep spinning the mirage of doing something.

Anything that's supposed to happen in Swansea should be taken with a huge pinch of salt, probably the whole cellar. Just look at the bendy busses and the town centre re-planning.

It's such a shame though; I love where I was born and lived for 21 years of my life but it really is where ambition comes to die, sadly. So many missed opportunities

 

[Gareth Marston]

Anything that's supposed to happen in Swansea should be taken with a huge pinch of salt, probably the whole cellar. Just look at the bendy busses and the town centre re-planning.

It's such a shame though; I love where I was born and lived for 21 years of my life but it really is where ambition comes to die, sadly. So many missed opportunities

I lived in Swansea for two years in the late 70's the magic M4 road was being built to deliver an economic miracle to the area, 30 years later I was back working with European funding for deprived areas the roads were clogged up with traffic but the economic miracle hadn't happened.