The proposed rail spur to the airport will compete with the Vale line to Rhoose and Llantwit Major for line capacity and resources.
With an estimated capacity of 4 trains per hour after upgrade work is completed in Cardiff, the Welsh government aims to increase Vale lined services to two an hour. With 3 trains an hour proposed on the airport link, plus hourly freight services to Aberthaw power station, something has to give.
With the level of political and financial investment required to make the rail spur happen, the Vale line would almost certainly lose out to the new rail line. So as well as destroying the local environment, local livelihoods and failing to help Cardiff Airport in the slightest, the spur would damage a vital transport link that’s being used by 360,000 people a year.
Please sign the petition to lodge an objection to this plan. We have until Monday 2nd of April.
“With an estimated capacity of 4 trains per hour after upgrade work is completed in Cardiff, the Welsh government aims to increase Vale lined services to two an hour. With 3 trains an hour proposed on the airport link, plus hourly freight services to Aberthaw power station, something has to give. ”
Why? What’s the capacity of the line? Is it double track? 6 trains an hour isn’t bad.
“With the level of political and financial investment required to make the rail spur happen, the Vale line would almost certainly lose out to the new rail line. ”
Have you even read the route utilisation strategy?
Why would the Vale line lose out? Did Network Rail or the ORR confirm this?
C- must try harder
Any public transport investment to improve links between the airport and the capital city has to be a good thing. This ‘anti’ campaign seems to be run by a small number of vocal Porthkerry NIMBYS. Shame there isn’t a ‘dont like’ on Facebook
The capacity is 4 trains an hour. 2 per hour (Welsh Government priority) + 1 freight train to Aberthaw = 3. There isn’t room for another “3 – 4 trains per hour” to the airport.
The Vale line will be competition for track capacity and resources with the Airport link. 4 trains an hour is the estimated capacity according to The 2011 Jacobs Consultancy “Roll Forward Study” for the South East Wales Transport Alliance (SEWTA), Appendix C. That’s the only place we’ve found an estimate on track capacity post upgrade.
I would rather believe the estimates prepared by SEWTA and Network Rail. There are capacity constraints on the VoG line at Aberthaw and west – they would not limit airport access.
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