Postscript: My original musings re a Swansea Bay Metro in 2017 have been superseded by more formal work with Welsh Government and Swansea Bay local authorities & stakeholders through 2018 and hopefully into 2019.
I have published a more detailed article ….see Swansea to Cardiff in 30 mins (published 15th Sep 2017)
Since the UK Government’s decision in July 2017 to cancel the electrification of the GWML between Swansea and Cardiff, I have been giving some more thought as to what we might do instead. Just calling for the project to be re-instated probably is not good enough. The introduction of an all bi-mode fleet of Hitachi IEPs on the GWML pretty much neutralised the business case for further electrification. What we have though, is an opportunity to step back and consider perhaps some more strategic interventions with an eye to the future and more likely to help grow the economy & capture the imagination of the entire Swansea Bay City Region.
The attached (>>click link below>>) is my initial “offer” in that regard – ” A Swansea Bay Metro”;
Click here for >>>> A Swansea Bay Metro ?
The primary benefits of these proposals include:
- Swansea – Cardiff journey time of 35 minutes or less
- Swansea – London/Heathrow journey times of 2hr 15mins or less
- 15/20 minute faster journeys from West Wales to Cardiff
- The basis of a rail based Swansea Metro – new routes, services and stations
- Major mixed use gateway development around an expanded Swansea Central
Disclaimer: This note has nothing to do with the current and ongoing procurement of the Wales and Borders Franchise & South Wales Metro by Transport for Wales. It is based on my own ideas or those already in the public domain and not those of Transport for Wales, Welsh Government, Cardiff University or any other organisation.
Mark Barry 
Railfuture was first to propose a Swansea Metro in its Development Plan for the Railways of Wales Our ideas have been followed up by Mark Barry
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Many good ideas over many years…..and quite often nothing new under the sun!! The real challenge is trying to get “ideas” implemented. That’s a tough nut to crack…..but re the South Wales Metro we seem to have managed. I really hope we can develop a similar scheme for Swansea
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