Plans for north Wales metro service unveiled
Plans for an “integrated, high-frequency public transport network” for north Wales, including a metro service between Wrexham and Liverpool, have been revealed by the Welsh Government.
More rail and bus services, pay as you go technology and station improvements have been promised to be rolled out across the region over the next decade.
The Welsh Government says the plan, branded Network North Wales, will “unlock the economic potential” of the area and the cross-border region.
Metro-style train services
Once completed, it would see metro-style train services on the North Wales mainline, the Marches line (Chester to Wrexham) and a new, direct rail link between Wrexham and Liverpool.
Plans for a North Wales Metro were first mooted as part of Welsh Labour’s plan for the region in its 2016 manifesto, but little work has progressed on it in the decade since.
Work on a South Wales Metro, which has seen the development of a London underground-style rail network across Cardiff and the Valleys, is due to be completed in 2026.
The latest plans were unveiled by Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, at a Public Transport Summit in Wrexham on Thursday.
Mr Skates said the Government has already “delivered significantly for South Wales” and “now is the right time for North Wales to get the same level of ambition”.
Long-term vision
The transport minister promised “delivery at an unprecedented pace” with a long-term vision, including the rollout of pay-as-you-go, improved stations, increased services and an additional integrated bus service as part of immediate changes over the next 12 months.
He said: “UK Government, local government, Transport for Wales and English local authorities are working with us to deliver this bold programme of work to better connect communities, with more rail and bus services and greater integration, new stations, new transport routes, new trains, new buses, new technology.
“A network of public transport services that will include cross-border turn-up and go bus and rail services, extending the Northern Arc from Hull to Holyhead.
“With unprecedented partnership across governments, across borders and across the north, we have the opportunity to turn dreams into reality, to deliver on an enduring vision for what our a public transport network should look like.
“Most importantly, we have an opportunity to deliver the principal purpose of public transport – to drive economic growth and prosperity for all.”
The plans include:
– Commencing work on the line between Wrexham and Liverpool
– Doubling train services between Wrexham and Chester next May
– Bringing forward the introduction of 50% more services across the North Wales mainline from December 2026 to next May – including a new service from Llandudno to Liverpool and extending the Manchester Airport service to Holyhead in place of Llandudno.
– Upon completion of rail line works at Padeswood, increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to two trains per hour within the next three years, with four trains per hour running direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line, with trains wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve.
Key stations on the line will see improvements over the next 12 months.
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Can we also invest in greater north-south links as well?
Ken Skates has an obsession with further connecting Wales and England while depriving communities within the north of Wales from reliable rail transport. Skates, move to England if you’re so head over heels about it.
He is but a puppet of the regime let’s face it. The class of politician we deserve until we rise up as an independent nation.
Absolutely
A service that only operates on the English side of Offa’s Dyke!
What’s the plan to run some services beyond Bidston through the Liverpool loop? Source some 777s and have Merseyrail operate them to Wrexham under the TfW brand?
No, it’ll be via Halton.
Then why rename the Borderlands Line as the Wrexham – Liverpool line?
I apologise, you are correct. Looks like northern railway will continue to be in charge of the line via the Halton curve, which is doing quite well as far as I can see
Very disappointing, this is an attempt to make north wales part of the north west england region. The north needs to be connected to the south much more as one singular unit. We should be competing with north west england not become a part of it. This way our country will attract more revenue and investment than the forgotten region we are now. Heavy freight to north west wales should be more of a priority. We shouldn’t aspire to be an economy of tourism but of heavy industry and engineering like when all the mines were open. A few large… Read more »
Better connections to north west England makes north east Wales more attractive to investors. It also means those that would’ve moved abroad for work can stay in their community and still access the same opportunities. Switzerland isn’t diminished by good rail links with its neighbours.
“Better connections to north west England makes north east Wales more attractive to investors” Does it? Or does it make the large city hubs of Liverpool and Manchester even more attractive by being able to pull on a large pool of labour and skills? North East Wales is the periphery of these urban regions and has all along been earmarked for housing and overspill for Cheshire. The A55 resulted in a lot of business relocating into England as it was easier to serve a small market from warehousing in England and enabled the better off the play country living while… Read more »
It’s not either-or. It’s true that Liverpool and Manchester will marginally benefit from improved connections to north east Wales but not to an extent that it would influence investment in those city regions because they already benefit from a large pool of talent and skills. The improved connections will however allow some of those investments and opportunities to be attracted to north east Wales instead which poor links might have otherwise ruled out. Just to be clear, no global investor looking to invest in the UK is going to say they’ve chosen Liverpool over London because of improved connections to… Read more »
Switzerland has full sovereignty of its borders and has some of the most stringent checks for people moving there. While north Wales needs better interconnection like the south it’s again at the condition of those connections making faster access to England. It’s for the commuters not the communities.
Mark – i worked in the airline cargo industry in 1990s; the chief economist of Swissair was recognised globally as being collaborative and managing the overall Swiss economy. Switzerland has slow long freight or passenger trains and focuses on creating jobs with the highest economic multiplier effects at integrated transport hubs. Wrexham University was an excellent choice to host yesterdays transport conference. Wales needs to focus on well-paid job creation at Rhyl and Port Talbot to benefit from the transport links and leave low paid seasonal tourism to Blackpool / Cornwall. I fully support your efforts to reduce car utilisation… Read more »
Come on, mun. These improvements would have been decided by ticket sales and market analysis, not some hidden agenda of merging regions. If you lived the area, they are all eminently sensible improvements. I’ll only be sceptical about the bidston line. This perennially seems to have low passenger numbers. But I trust the experts know better than me!
Extending it from Bidston to Liverpool Central, however they manage it, should make a big difference to demand.
Tomos, Warrington is a design and engineering hub for nuclear projects in Cumbria and Southern England. Locations such as Rhyl / Wrexham are ideal to grow well-paid jobs / University courses for Wylfa B Nuclear Power Station. Holyhead’s population is too small for such projects.
We live in a work from anywhere culture and initiatives such as https://businessnewswales.com/a-new-era-for-start-ups-in-north-wales/ will start to develop the economy.
Wylfa B will never happen, just look at the cost and time overruns at Hinkley Point, originally budgeted at £18 billion, now at £30-40 Billion.
East-Northeast Wales by compass
But hey, let Ken spin it…
The North Wales economy would benefit if Hawarden Airport near Wrexham was opened for passenger flights.
A rail / bus link would benefit North Wales and Chester – reduce car journeys to Manchester Airport.
The airport operates large cargo Airbus 330s for Airbus UK and so Airbus UK could profit from extra revenue; TUI flys to small airports such as Teeside and may be interested / Aer Lingus regional flights to Dublin to connect to global destinations.
Manchester Airport is owned by local authorities and North Wales and Cheshire councils could own.
Are Welsh Labour and Transport Minister Ken Slate’s making a promise they cannot keep. Firstly, where’s the £2.1 billion coming from seeing the Welsh Government could not afford £1.4 billion to build the M4 relief road in the South with only £1 billion borrowing powers? Also, If indeed part of the funding is coming the Welsh Government coffers , the other from UK Government & Treasury, with I take some private finance involved too. Is it written in stone , or will it again disappear like Cinderella’s carriage and turn into a pumpkin after next May’s Senedd election if, God… Read more »
Transport for Wales [sic]: “We’re not going to connect our nation north to south, towns of 10k or more people like Caernarfon, Mold, Denbigh and Holywell will remain unconnected, we remain committed to only ever talk about reopening the Anglesey Central in perpetuity, but We’Re pUtTiNg oN MoRe tRaNeZ tO EnGLaNd!!!!”
Mranwhile, no-one thinks about reopening the existing line to Llangefni, or sttengthening the Conwy Valley line to carry out Bl Ffestiniog’s huge store of aggregate, at present unexploited as rail freight can’t access it.
Winter work for the Ffestiniog using bespoke hoppers…
Hello,
Before you introduce Wrecsam to Liverpool trains, how about getting through hourly service on the Cambrian.
Oh and could we have an earlier and later Train along the coast to Pwllheli ALL year?
Still waiting on Network Rail to finish their upgrades before this can happen. And perhaps those extra early and late services you’d like to see could turn at Shrewsbury then run to and from Cardiff so it’s possible to have half a day in the capital.
Yet there is no budget set for these “plans”. It’s just an empty wish list. Next week Ken Skates MS will be launching the Felinheli Hovercraft and the Dolgarrog Hoverboard. It’s just spin.