Some of you will know I am busy writing a book about the South Wales Metro (or the Cardiff Capital Region metro as it used to be called…and will again I suspect). I have devoted one chapter to the dysfunction of the UK rail industry ecosystem as regards Wales (so yes UK Government investment, Barnett, … Continue reading The UK rail industry, Wales, HS2, Trans Pennine Upgrade, Network Rail spend, etc…
Category: transport
Pride and the Global Centre of Rail Excellence
Earlier this week (on Tuesday 29th November 2023) I took a trip up to the top of the Dulais Valley, Onllwyn and the site of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence. My previous trip had been over five years earlier with MP Christina Rees and colleague Katie Allister to see what was then, Celtic Energy’s … Continue reading Pride and the Global Centre of Rail Excellence
Cardiff Airport…stick or twist?
Its ten years since Welsh Government bought Cardiff Airport…leading again to a polarised debate. In another shorter than usual article I want to try and unpack some of the issues and choices …and my views have been shaped by experts in the field of aviation (they know who they are!). So, do we stick or … Continue reading Cardiff Airport…stick or twist?
Metro Moans 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…
200 to 1: English Rail Investment V Wales Rail Investment !
PS October 2023. Given PMs announcement cancelling HS2 north of Birmingham and a suggestion of £1Bn for OLE on the NWML I was going to update the ratio below (to something like 60:1). However, as I set out, there is no firm commitment on rail funding or timing thereof for Wales, so the issue has … Continue reading 200 to 1: English Rail Investment V Wales Rail Investment !
Mark Barry, May 2022: Submission to Senedd Climate Change Committee
This is a version of my submission to the Senedd Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, in May 2022 as part of their review of bus and rail transport in Wales . The transcript is here. To note: the views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of Mark Barry and no other person … Continue reading Mark Barry, May 2022: Submission to Senedd Climate Change Committee
Wales’ Metros – Update Feb 2022
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
Wales, Transport Planning & Choices…
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…
Climate Change, Cars & Challenges (including Road Pricing!)
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!)
Welsh Rail Infrastructure Investment
My written submission to the Welsh Affairs Select Committees review of Rail Infrastructure Investment in Wales Since appearing to present oral evidence in January I have also prepared an addendum re HS2 (below) and the failings of the current constitutional arrangement re rail investment in Wales that expands on that set out in my HS2 … Continue reading Welsh Rail Infrastructure Investment
A Public Transport Grid for the M4 Corridor…
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…
Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region #2
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
Cardiff Transport White Paper
As a guide, its only 20~30% of traffic at peak times that causes 100% of congestion. So, we need to direct capital investment to provide sufficiently attractive public transport and active travel options to encourage 20~30% less car journeys - not building more roads to induce more car use. In doing so, we also need … Continue reading Cardiff Transport White Paper
WG National Development Framework – some quick reflections…
In August this year, Welsh Government (WG) published its National Development Framework[i] (NDF) for consultation (which is designed to complement and provide more spatial priorities for Planning Policy Wales PPW published in 2018[ii]). There is much to applaud – especially the emphasis on Transit Oriented Development (see Policy 1 - Sustainable Urban Growth) and the … Continue reading WG National Development Framework – some quick reflections…
A Cardiff Crossrail…
This blog first published in 2019 to support the Cardiff Council Transport White Paper... PS Jan 2023 - Worth looking at #1 in this blog re: pragmatic phasing of Cardiff Crossrail...A few more Jan 2023 PSs below as well... PS Nov 2023 - I have also added a link to a downloadable PDF of a … Continue reading A Cardiff Crossrail…
Mark Barry 