Blogs on the South Wales Metro (or Cardiff Metro), transport, politics, bees and other stuff…
Transport for Wales has launched its Rail investment prospectus, "Today, Tomorrow, Together". This complements a UK Government commitment to a long-term funding programme for Wales rail network. How much new money has actually been committed? As usual the devil is in the detail. Here are my initial thoughts......
A quick brain dump of predictions for 2026...some transport, some politics, some economic... Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Wales has ยฃ4bn+ of rail enhancements in development....but where is the formal Wales Rail Enhancement Pipeline and when are Uk Gov going to fully devolve rail powers and funding so we can get on and deliver it out to 2040
The GBR Bill has just been published.... whilst much to applaud re industry rationalisation, sadly, for Wales, its more of the old Encyclopedia Britannica "for Wales, see England" mindset that sees Wales's major issues (control and funding) completely overlooked.
Welsh sport, the soul of a nation and a constitutional metaphor
A brief reaction to the UK Governments 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review - and its impact on rail investment in Wales
A summary of the primary rail enhancement schemes needed in Wales to 2040 and justification for ยฃ4Bn commitment from UK Government to help deliver them.
A brief summary of the key facets of a successful Metro Vision - with reference to the success of the South Wales Metro
My initial thought in response to the DfTs GBR Feb 2025 consultation and reference to the reality that the UK economy is held back as a result of the relative underinvestment in public transport in the UKs major cities and city regions (outside London) when compared to Europe
My December 2024 letter to Transport Minister Heidi Alexander re: lack of UK Government rail enhancement investment in Wales.
Metro and other hopes (Crossrail, SWML, Brexit, PR, Severn Barrage, etc...) for 2025
July 2024 I cover some of these issues and wider opportunities re Metro in the Cardiff Capital Region in my book, "How to build a Metro", published on October 2024. This station should have happened already! PS Autumn/Summer 2025 - Planning issues removed and UK Gov via CSR have committed some funds (not enough yet) … Continue reading Cardiff Parkway…
Independence - No not like North Korea, or Brexit for that matter... I think the debate on independence in Wales, and constitutional reform more broadly, is more often than not confused because many, even most of us, are not clear what we mean by independence; and those opposed to the idea often equate it with the most … Continue reading Welsh Independence…no, not like North Korea (or even Brexit!)
PS November 2024. I covered and updated some of these details in my book, "How to build a Metro". Take a look! PS Feb 2025: I published a blog "My suggestions for WG and TfW Board" in Feb 2025, which covers some of the points set out below Despite the naysaying and the covid induced … Continue reading Metro, subsidies & Cardiff… Some tough choices and compromises?
On February 13th, 2024, Sarah Atherton MP published a piece in the Wrexham Leader criticising a number of Welsh Government decisions and/or implications thereof of as regards transport. 'Plan for increased use of public transport is fundamentally flawed' | The Leader (leaderlive.co.uk) Whilst I have no problem with an honest and reasoned critique, most of … Continue reading There must be an election coming up…