The Welsh government has scrapped a proposed railway line intended to ease travel congestion during major events in Cardiff, deeming it not cost-effective.
The project, which would have seen the construction of a 1.6km track near the Llanwern steelworks, was designed to handle the influx of passengers attending large events at venues like the Principality Stadium. However, with £10m already invested in the preliminary stages, Transport for Wales (TfW) now acknowledges these funds as unrecoverable.
Critics from Senedd’s opposition parties are lamenting the waste of public funds on this abandoned project. Despite this, TfW confirmed that its plans to develop new commuter stations in the Newport and Cardiff areas, including at Llanwern, will proceed.
Past events in Cardiff, such as Ed Sheeran’s 2022 concert, highlighted the city’s transportation challenges. With major acts like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen scheduled to perform, and Cardiff being a host city for the 2028 Euros, concerns over the city’s “fragile transport infrastructure” are mounting.
Citizens like Sarah Hemsley-Cole, Evan Powell, Chris Medlicott, Shelli Docherty, and Warren Beck shared their frustrations over the overcrowding and discomfort experienced on trains during event days.
The Welsh government, however, has justified the cancellation, stating that the project would not be cost-effective. Instead, it points to the introduction of new trains to TfW’s fleet to improve resilience and meet demand on event days. TfW also received a significant funding boost of over £125m, despite the escalating costs of the South Wales Metro project, now exceeding £1bn.
Rail expert Andrew Potter suggests that with limited funds and rising costs, it is more practical to invest in higher-priority projects that are used more frequently, rather than in infrastructure that serves occasional events.
TfW disclosed that while the project was initially commissioned in 2017, subsequent assessments revealed higher-than-expected costs, making the venture financially unviable, especially in the post-COVID demand landscape.
Welsh Conservative shadow transport minister Natasha Asghar criticized the decision as “completely irresponsible,” expressing concern over the potential embarrassment for Wales during the 2028 Euros. Delyth Jewell from Plaid Cymru also expressed disappointment over the shelved plans and the lost funds, emphasizing the need for public transport to be the primary choice for event-goers.
