Concerns raised over delays and costs of new Metro line
Progress on the construction of the South Wales Metro has been criticised following reports of the project being hit by more delays.
The Welsh Government invested in the rail upgrade to Southeast Wales’s public transport system as part of its environmental strategy to completely overhaul the transport system.
The completion date of the multimillion pound project was moved from 2023 to 2024 following delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues.
The Metro project plans to upgrade current rail line infrastructure by installing new stations and electrifying 170km of track, along with building a £100m depot control centre in Taff’s Well
Rail journeys have been significantly impacted by the projects over the last year work with Transport for Wales intermittently cancelling trains and at times replacing them with bus services.
Concern
Conservative Party member of the Senedd for South Wales East, Natasha Asghar is now calling on the Welsh Government to be clear about when the Metro will “finally be completed.”
Natasha Asghar expressed concern that Transport for Wales had reported that the South Wales Metro “was likely to be significantly over its £734 million budget”.
In a recent letter sent to residents in living near the rail line in Merthyr Vale, Transport for Wales said: “We’re writing to let you know about a particularly noisy night time activity that is due to take place in your area soon.”
The letter warned that upcoming work to cut back trees and build foundations would involve heavy machinery and an exact date for when the work would take place wasn’t given as it “depends on the ground’s conditions.”
Completion
Conservative Party member of the Senedd for South Wales East Natasha Asghar is now calling on the Welsh Government to be clear about when the Metro will “finally be completed.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “As part of the longer-term development of the South Wales Metro, we want to see six new railway stations open on the South Wales Main Line, more rail and bus services forming a single, integrated network, segregated commuter cycleways in and between Newport and Cardiff and better provision for pedestrians, especially to access rail and bus stations.
“With this ‘network of alternatives’ in place, everyone in South East Wales will be empowered to travel more sustainably and to play a part in tackling climate change.”
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“Natasha Asghar expressed concern that Transport for Wales had reported that the South Wales Metro “was likely to be significantly over its £734 million budget”. ”
Best she doesn’t look at HS2 then, or countless other infrastructure projects.
They tend to have a habit of running over budget and time.
She should especially not look at the Garden Bridge project, proposed by one B. Johnson and went completely down the pan with around £60 million quid.
Agreed, but I do wonder how these construction companies get away with going “Over Budget”. Surely the total cost of a particular project ought to be part of the contract and if the contractor fails to get the job to cost then they lose money. Is that not part of how Capitalism works or are we using the Tories’ Welfare Capitalism model where corporations get to spend money like water and the Tax Payer always has to pay up?
PC, good comment. Large scale projects, many of them with a high vanity content, seem to command limitless budgets. I’ve argued for some time that this is all part of the Tory post-privatisation scam where public funds get sucked out into private corporate coffers. No risk, no enterprise just lob the invoices in and collect payment 30-40 days later. Nice work if you can get it. Our soppy lot in the Bay work to the same template.
This is what happens when you have people like Mark Barry scamming the Welsh taxpayer out of a living
With this ‘network of alternatives’ in place, everyone in South East Wales will be empowered to travel more sustainably and to play a part in tackling climate change.”
“empowered”??? Able would suffice.