In 2022 my wife and I travelled to Casperia and back by train (to La Torretta which my aunt/uncle/cousins have run since about 2000). I documented that trip here To Rome and back by train… – Mark Barry (swalesmetroprof.blog). We have just repeated that trip in April 2024 to mark something of a semi-retirement for … Continue reading To Casperia and back by train…
Despite the naysaying and the covid induced delays, the Core Valley Lines (CVL) transformation part of The South Wales Metro is progressing at pace and by the end of 2025, will deliver a radical uplift in public transport services and capacity to the core valleys north of Cardiff[i]. This is a great start, but we … Continue reading Metro, subsidies & Cardiff… Some tough choices and compromises?
To support my presentation at a Wales Week in London event on the South Wales Metro on 27th February, I have penned a few words about the Cardiff Capital Region Metro. It also appeared in a shorter form in Transport Times on February 13th, 2024. You can also download the presentation I used here PS I … Continue reading Wales, Metro, TOD & Devolution…
Without fundamental constitutional reform, a Swansea Bay Metro will likely never happen. A version of this blog appeared in the business section of Business News Wales / Western Mail on January 5th 2024. I want here to summarise its initial concept development, more recent scheme and business case development and the very real obstacles to … Continue reading No rail devolution? No Swansea Bay Metro!
We often hear calls for free or heavily subsidised public transport; we have free access to health care after all, so why not public transport? In this shorter than usual article I want to try and explain why it’s not such an obvious policy choice. And to note in my example below, I am not … Continue reading Free bus fares….or not?
I’m normally pretty positive and optimistic…and have talked and written about Metros in Wales in such a manner, even with some small measure of critique. For example, in these blogs from 2022: Wales’ Metros – Update Feb 2022 Do you believe in Metro? and these earlier papers from 2018 (Which events have overtaken somewhat): My … Continue reading Metro Hopes for 2023…
(PS still relevant in 2024....) Single track Coryton line limiting service frequency to an inappropriate 2tph I’m normally pretty positive and optimistic…and have talked and written at length about Metros in Wales in such a manner, even with some small measure of critique. For example, in these blogs from 2022: Wales’ Metros – Update Feb … Continue reading Metro Moans for 2023…
A summary of this blog appeared in the Business Section of the Western Mail in March 2022 There has been some recent coverage in the media and some social media chatter about Wales’ Metro projects, their status and what they might deliver. Given my involvement in all of them – Cardiff/South Wales since 2010 and … Continue reading Wales’ Metros – Update Feb 2022
What mode is best......? Postscript April 2022 - I have made a small number of edits re WG Bus legislation and rail v bus In this blog, my first of 2022, I’d like to take on some transport questions that keep coming up in Wales and often generate answers, perhaps, that draw more upon sentiment … Continue reading Wales, Transport Planning & Choices…
A challenge to UK & Welsh Governments... A summary of this article appeared in the Western Mail on 28th June 2021 PS some minor edits made in Sep 2022 Most of you will know that I have written and spoken at length over the last few years on Welsh rail, the lack of enhancement funding … Continue reading Levelling Up, Working Together? A Transport Enhancement Programme for Wales
PS April 2023. I have published a brief update blog on this subject. Back in 2021..... In the last three months I have presented at and/or been on panels to discuss transport, covid, the climate emergency and cars. Earlier in March 2021 the Rail Vision for the Cardiff Capital Region, which I helped prepare, was … Continue reading Climate Change, Cars & Challenges (including Road Pricing!)
I’ve tried to write this blog a few times over the last year - and failed. So here is another brief attempt that sets out for me some of the primary considerations that need to be reflected in our fiscal systems – which I assert are now completely out of sync with the world we … Continue reading The Environment, Tax and Wales
July 2020... In March 2020, I submitted a paper to the South East Wales Transport Commission to consider in their deliberations over the M4. This essentially is that paper (with a few minor updates and reflections) which draws much from my blog “No new M4… so what instead” [i] from Summer 2019. There is nothing … Continue reading A Public Transport Grid for the M4 Corridor…
A version of this article also appeared Nation Cymru in March 2020 I have also written another related blog (Jan 2021) that covers Tax, Climate Change and Wales' ability to sustain a viable economy as an independent nation in July 2021, I followed up with, "What sort of Britain do we want?" What sort of … Continue reading What sort of Wales do we want?
Last year I published a blog on Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region. This provoked a lot of discussion and some feedback from me in subsequent blogs. To bring some shape to the debate, the Design Commission for Wales working with me, Cardiff University, Tirion Homes, Community Housing Cymru, Cardiff Capital Region and … Continue reading Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region #2
Mark Barry 