Reform push to ditch railway stations for M4 relief road

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A prediction that the Senedd election campaign would pose a threat to five new train stations promised in south Wales appears to have come true. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised £14 billion for seven new train stations in Wales in February which includes the five between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction intended to ease congestion on the M4. 

Proposed stops at Llanwern, Newport West, Somerton and Magor as well as Cardiff East were among a series of public transport improvements and road changes proposed as alternatives to the M4 relief road that was scrapped by former Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford in 2019.

Physical construction work isn’t expected to start on the first two stations, including Magor and Undy, until 2028. 

Last week however Reform UK’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas, who is a candidate in the Casnewydd Islwyn constituency, said some of the stations aren’t “needed or wanted” and suggested some of the £14 billion should instead be used for an M4 relief road. 

During the Welsh leaders debate on Channel 4 News Mr Thomas promised to build the M4 relief road and upgrades to the A470 and A55 in North Wales. 

When Labour’s Eluned Morgan asked “where are you going to get the money from for all of that?” Mr Thomas replied: “Well you’ve set aside £14 billion for building seven train stations most of those are not actually needed or wanted. We could easily divert money from that scheme to building the road. The money is there if the political will is there to build it.” 

The money announced by the Prime Minister in February, which is only an indication of future spending commitments, also covers a proposed Cardiff Parkway Station, at St Mellons, and a seventh station to be built in North Wales to service the Deeside industrial park. 

Asked, via email, if Reform was committed to building the five stations and which did he believe are either not “needed or wanted”, Mr Thomas didn’t answer directly but simply said: “Reform is the only party with a credible plan to build the M4 relief road, which will ease congestion and boost our economy.” 

When Monmouthshire council, which had lobbied for the Magor and Undy station, discussed the PM’s announcement in March its Labour deputy leader, Paul Griffiths, warned of a potential renewed battle for rail investment in light of the Senedd election and a future squeeze on public finances. 

Cllr Griffiths described the new stations as a crucial part of a vision for a South East Wales metro to complement the system being developed around Cardiff and the Valleys. 

The councillor warned: “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.” 

Labour’s Casnewydd Islwyn candidate Jayne Bryant said she had been a supporter of a relief road but described her main concern as air pollution and questioned if other parties promising a new road could deliver. She said she wants to see investment in public transport. 

“I was 13 when an M4 relief road was first talked about and that was stopped by a Conservative government before devolution,” said Ms Bryant who described land no longer being protected from development and new housing as obstacles to previously proposed routes. 

She also said it isn’t as simple as saying money should be diverted to a relief road: “That is money from the UK Government and I haven’t seen any evidence that could be used for a road, it’s been in conjunction with the Welsh Government as where rail investment goes, some of that, is not devolved.” 

Labour, the Green Party and Liberal Democrats have no plans for a relief road and Labour leader Eluned Morgan ruled out diverting any of the £14bn, despite her party’s Newport council leader Dimitri Batrouni having told a council meeting earlier this year he believed “some sort of a relief road” would be required as well as public transport improvements. 

The Conservatives were the first of the biggest parties to publish their manifesto which promised to build the relief road. The issue appeared to gain fresh impetus when Plaid Cymru said it would examine the case for a new road to relieve M4 congestion at Newport. 

Plaid’s Sir Fynwy Torfaen candidate, Matthew Jones, disputed the new stations are being put at risk: “Framing this as a choice between new rail stations and tackling congestion on the M4 is a false argument.” 

He added: “Plaid Cymru wants to see progress on new stations such as Magor and Undy or improvements at Severn Tunnel Junction , and we also want a credible plan to address congestion around Newport. A modern transport network requires both.”