Plans advance for major new railway station

A new railway station serving one of Europe’s largest industrial estates could open within two years.

The proposed Deeside Parkway station, which will serve Deeside Industrial Estate in Flintshire, is now fully funded and in the design stage, according to Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales.

During a visit to the site, Mr Skates said the station would strengthen links between north East Wales and Liverpool, improve access to major employment and education centres, and support inward investment across the region.

“We are at an unprecedented moment for rail in Wales,” he said.

“Jointly backed by both the Welsh and UK Governments, we have a £14bn package of bold, generational schemes that will transform travel, connect communities and power our economy.”

The Deeside Parkway scheme forms part of that £14bn rail investment programme and is one of seven new stations being taken forward in Wales.

Mr Skates confirmed that funding is in place and that the project has entered the design phase, although one key issue remains unresolved: how passengers will cross between platforms.

Options include a new footbridge or using an existing minor road that passes beneath the railway line.

“It’s funded now. The money is available. It’s in the design stage,” he said.

“We’re still on course to have it built by the end of 2027 although I would add the caveat that with rail, things tend to take longer than you ever planned for.”

The station is being designed using a modular construction approach, described by Mr Skates as “experimental” in the UK rail context.
He said the method could reduce build times to between 18 months and two years, compared with the four to six years typically required for conventional station projects.

If successful, the approach could be replicated elsewhere where track conditions allow.

The Welsh Government says the station will help reduce congestion on the A494 and A55 and, for the first time, provide a practical public transport link between Deeside Industrial Estate and Wrexham Industrial Estate.

“At the moment, you can’t get between the two by public transport. Not very easily at all,” Mr Skates said.

The development sits within a wider investment zone shared by Wrexham and Flintshire, which ministers say could support up to 6,000 additional jobs.

Rail demand

Transport for Wales is working with employers on the estate to assess potential rail demand and encourage workers to switch from car travel. Plans include discounted rail passes and coordinated travel schemes.

Shuttle buses are expected to provide the “final mile” connection between the station and workplaces across the vast industrial site.

“For many people, particularly with the winter that we’ve just experienced, walking or cycling that final mile or two probably isn’t going to be an option,” Mr Skates said.

The station would also improve links to Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Port of Liverpool.