Some £50m in UK government funding has been allocated to Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales to support the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail intracity rail project.
Announced in 2019, the service will run from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay train station.
The new line also aims to create additional job opportunities for local workers in addition to enhancing connectivity to the city centre.
Funding has been provided from the UK government’s £13bn Levelling Up Fund, which is designated for projects that improve transport and provide skills training and local business support across local communities.
The Welsh government will contribute an additional £50m toward the project, bringing funding to £100m.
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Projects planned for funding as part of phase 1 include:
- A new tramline to connect Cardiff Central to the Cardiff Bay Line
- A new platform at Cardiff Central Station
- New rolling stock
- A new platform at Cardiff Bay Station
- Public realm improvements between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay
Electric operated tram-trains, which draw electricity from wires overhead, will be used for the new rail system.
According to Cardiff Council, the hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) are well-suited to the city’s pre-existing infrastructure, diverting operations to onboard batteries in areas lacking energised overhead wires.
It’s hoped that the HEVs will provide a more sustainable public transport network for the Welsh capital city into the future.
A new £100m depot and Metro Control Centre will also be built in addition to the Crossrail project near Taff’s Well railway station to house the tram-trains.
The Cardiff Crossrail programme forms part of the wider South Wales Metro Project, a multimillion-pound project that aims to create an integrated network of bus, rail and active travel that will improve connectivity and make sustainable travel easier across South Wales.
A total of 11 projects in Wales have receive grants worth £208m from the UK government’s second round of Levelling Up funding.
Innovations and achievements in public transport will be celebrated at the second annual CiTTi Awards on 21 November 2023 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector – and to book your table today!
