M4 relief road pledges threaten railway station plans
Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter
Pledges by the Welsh Conservatives and Reform UK to revive the abandoned M4 relief road could put plans for five new rail stations in and around Newport at risk.
That was the warning from a senior councillor who was previously an advisor to the Welsh Government.
Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have promised to build an M4 relief road around the city in their manifestos for May’s Senedd election.
The two parties have also promised to cut taxes leading to questions on how a new motorway would be paid for while Reform, which had suggested a toll road with drivers charged per trip, said it will set up a board to look at all funding options.
But Monmouthshire County Council deputy leader Paul Griffiths warned the five new stations, including the promised ‘walkway’ station in Magor and Undy would be at risk if plans for a relief road are revived.
The Chepstow Labour councillor said the stations are a first step in improving transport connections between Cardiff and Newport and beyond to Bristol and the West Country.
But he said the vision is dependent on funding and plans being “redveloped and represented”.
That includes better connecting the existing Severn Tunnel Junction station, in line with plans put forward by the council, so that it is a “real rail hub, properly linked to the motorway network, a South Wales Parkway”.
He said the decision by former first minister Mark Drakeford, in 2019, to pull the plug on the proposed relief road on cost and environmental grounds was crucial.
Cllr Griffiths said: “We owe some gratitude to Mark Drakeford who took the brave step of not investing billions in an attempted road solution, with a so called M4 relief road and instead directing money into public transport, sustainable solutions.
“And there lies the risk because there are politicians lining up at the next Senedd election, from a whole variety of parties, to undue that vision and to re-direct the investment back into mile upon mile of six lane motorways around South Wales.
“If that happens we will be putting at risk the specific achievement of the Magor Walkway, but at risk also that whole vision of a metro across South East Wales. The stakes are high.”
Ruled out
Last week, launching Welsh Labour’s Senedd campaign in Newport, first minister Eluned Morgan ruled out the possibility of promised UK Government funding for rail being diverted to a relief road. Ms Morgan was asked if any of the £14bn pipeline for potential rail projects could be reallocated in light of the Labour leader of Newport City Council stating a relief road would still be required along with other public transport improvements.
Cllr Griffiths, who used to lead a team of advisors to former first minister Rhodri Morgan that included Mr Drakeford, was speaking as the council discussed a motion to congratulate the Magor Action on Rail Group (MAGOR) that campaigned for the new station.
Cllr Griffiths praised the campaigners but said it wasn’t an achievement in isolation but a result of the Welsh Government investing in a massive upgrade of the Valley Lines, which he said made it possible for the council to argue for a South East Wales metro also with trains every 15 minutes to Cardiff.
The full council unanimously approved the motion brought by Independent member for Magor West, Frances Taylor who is also a member of the campaign group established in 2012.
She said it had only learned Magor will be among the first of five stations, which also include Llanwern, Newport West and Somerton as well as Cardiff East, from journalists ahead of the announcement by prime minister Keir Starmer in February.
Construction work
But she said Magor, unlike the other stations, isn’t reliant on upgrade to the relief line and the motion called for construction work to start now rather than the promised completion date of by 2029.
Cllr Taylor also said the council should lobby for its name to be Magor & Undy Walkway station, in recognition, of it being designed for commuters to walk to it and for the council to start work on traffic orders to prevent inappropriate parking in the area. Cllr Taylor said the council should wait until after May’s Senedd elections before it lobbies government in both Cardiff and London.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
It’s not either-or. The rail upgrades are urgently needed now to get the region moving efficiently and build a foundation for economic growth. But not all traffic can switch and if rail investment is successful at getting half the vehicles off the road but the economy doubles over the next 30 years things will be back at a standstill with (hopefully all electric) traffic that can’t use public transport.
The congestion of the roads goes up exponentially with the number of vehicles using it.
It doesn’t matter if not everyone can use the alternatives, even if a small number of people switch it can have an impact.
It’s just about choice. If people have no choice but to use the road, they’ll be on it. Alternative means add up very quickly.
Just think about how many times driving you’ve missed being the last car to get through the lights. If just one of those drivers in front of you had taken the train, you’d have got through.
You didn’t read the post.
The only thing that is proven to reduce road congestion is viable alternatives to driving.
If you spend money on the road network it’s effectively a quadruple waste, because you lose not only the cost of building it, the impact on journey times during construction, you then have to spend more to maintain more miles of road, and you lose the opportunity to develop the needed alternatives.
A lose-lose-lose-lose.