Road, Rail & Access Issues

[TheLocalYokel]

I do believe each individual project can apply for City deal money and then gets assessed to see whether it can qualify.
I don't think there was any protests to the name. I've no doubt some people from the Valleys are probably not happy though!
Bristol and the West country do suffer from a lack of their own regional government whereas despite it's detractors the Welsh government has for the most part been positive and given Wales a voice though some believe it's not loud enough. I dread to think where Wales would be without it.

UK governments of all political colours seem to believe that Bristol and its region are too wealthy to need much assistance, hence the private and overseas investment sectors have to be pursued, usually with not much success.

The elected mayor of Bristol recently returned from China trying to drum up cash for his £4 billion underground system, one line of which would access the airport although I presume that one would be mainly overground.

National governments for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but nothing for England is a strange concept when UK governments seem to love emphasising the United Kingdom. Regional governments for England would be a very poor second to a national government for England as the former would not be given serious tax-raising or law-making powers for starters.

I mentioned Alun Cairns in my previous post and he seems to get some stick in some quarters for supposedly not fighting hard enough on Wales's behalf. About ten years ago when he was an AM, before he entered the Westminster parliament, I conducted a lengthy email exchange with him about the respective merits and demerits of CWL and BRS. I was surprised and pleased - fair play to him as they say around here - that he took so much time to discuss the issues with someone who wasn't a constituent or even a resident of Wales. He was passionate about CWL then and although we didn't agree on everything I've maintained a respect for him. It's nothing to do with his political party because I have no party allegiance.

 

[Jerry]

Devolution isn't really balanced with the devolved governments not having the same powers and the largest part of the UK not getting it at all and apart from the some power's that were under the EU being returned to the devolved governmebts i don't think it'll change much in the near future especially with Brexit happening.
As for Alun Cairns I do think he gets some uncalled for flak. With him being a member of the UK cabinet if he did support APD devolution he wouldn't be able to say as it would be against the UK governments position. I also think he gets a lot of flak just because he's a Conservative Welsh Secretary as Wales is very pro Labour.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

The reason Alun Cairns gets the flak is due to the fact that he doesn't want to rock the boat in order to further his career. Many of the Conservative AM's actually support the devolution of APD to Wales however Alun Cairns will not.

If he is in the job to make a difference to Wales as he ought to be then he can't do anything but support the devolution of APD to Wales.

 

[Jerry]

The reason Alun Cairns gets the flak is due to the fact that he doesn't want to rock the boat in order to further his career. Many of the Conservative AM's actually support the devolution of APD to Wales however Alun Cairns will not.

If he is in the job to make a difference to Wales as he ought to be then he can't do anything but support the devolution of APD to Wales.

As a member of the UK cabinet he can't be seen to go against the decision of the UK government he's a member of. AMs are different and I believe the Welsh Conservative official position is pro APD devolution.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

There are many examples of the cabinet ministers who have gone against the grain. It are those who prefer to look after their job more than what they believe is the best interest of their constituents.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There are many examples of the cabinet ministers who have gone against the grain. It are those who prefer to look after their job more than what they believe is the best interest of their constituents.

It's a pity if Mr Cairns is treading the job security path. I have a healthy disdain for all politicians as I feel that many are in it for themselves. There are some honourable exceptions and from my email discussion with Mr Cairns nearly a decade ago he was so passionate in his support for CWL that I thought he would be in that category, at least as far the airport was concerned.

 

[Jerry]

Abellio have pulled out of the bidding for the South Wales Metro and Valley lines electrification due to Carillion it's construction partner going into liquidation. That leaves KeolisAmey and MTR as the remaining 2 bidders.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/abellio-pull-out-5bn-bid-14329834

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Abellio have pulled out of the bidding for the South Wales Metro and Valley lines electrification due to Carillion it's construction partner going into liquidation. That leaves KeolisAmey and MTR as the remaining 2 bidders.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/abellio-pull-out-5bn-bid-14329834

Interesting. I find it rather annoying how they won't electrify the GWR mainline through to Swansea but they will electrify the valley lines.

I can't say I'm 100% up to date on the plan to electrify the valley lines but presumbly they're going to have a whole new set of trains over the rubbish that is currently run, sadly due to a rolling stock shortage.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Interesting. I find it rather annoying how they won't electrify the GWR mainline through to Swansea but they will electrify the valley lines.

I can't say I'm 100% up to date on the plan to electrify the valley lines but presumbly they're going to have a whole new set of trains over the rubbish that is currently run, sadly due to a rolling stock shortage.

Isn't the Valley Lines electrification being funded by the Welsh Government? The electrification to Bristol and Bath has also been axed - by the UK government - and it seems permanently, despite a huge sum already spent on upgrading those parts of the line that won't now be electrified. The lines around Bath were closed for six weeks at one point to prepare for the since axed electrification.

 

[Jerry]

Interesting. I find it rather annoying how they won't electrify the GWR mainline through to Swansea but they will electrify the valley lines.

I can't say I'm 100% up to date on the plan to electrify the valley lines but presumbly they're going to have a whole new set of trains over the rubbish that is currently run, sadly due to a rolling stock shortage.

The Valley lines electrification will be done by the Welsh Government under the Wales and Border franchise while the GWR electrification is being done by the UK government.
It'll be new tracks and new rolling stocks, probably a light rail system.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Thanks for the input both.

Shame the Welsh Government scheme is still standing but the UK government stops their’s.

I’ve just watched a video on youtube regarding the south wales metro, it actually looks quite good. I quite like the look of an oyster card system and I think that would work out quite well. Hopefully it will be fully delivered.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for the input both.

Shame the Welsh Government scheme is still standing but the UK government stops their’s.

I’ve just watched a video on youtube regarding the south wales metro, it actually looks quite good. I quite like the look of an oyster card system and I think that would work out quite well. Hopefully it will be fully delivered.

Very envious of the Metro this side of the estuary. We have to rely on the UK government, and the Greater Bristol proposed Metro is very small beer anyway and dependent on Hammond et al. I think I will begin a campaign for an English government. After all, if Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own why shouldn't England? (I know why they won't but that's another story). We'd still be a peripheral area in the South West though, and just left with the scraps from the London area table and increasingly the North's.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Very envious of the Metro this side of the estuary. We have to rely on the UK government, and the Greater Bristol proposed Metro is very small beer anyway and dependent on Hammond et al. I think I will begin a campaign for an English government. After all, if Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own why shouldn't England? (I know why they won't but that's another story). We'd still be a peripheral area in the South West though, and just left with the scraps from the London area table and increasingly the North's.

I've always been of the opinion England should maybe have it's own government or potentially reform Westminster to have a better focus on English affairs. Although too many politicians are never a good thing. There would also be an option to split up areas and give them Assemblies like London e.g the Southwest, Midlands, North etc etc, but this could get complicated and messy.

Welsh Government do wind me up time and time again for the way they go about things, but they do seem to be able to come up trumps on occasion to their credit. E.g Cardiff to Doha route, sorting out Cardiff Airport, free prescriptions (abeit a long running thing now) and the metro system.

I often do wonder if Wales hadn't of got devolution, would we have been left behind slightly.

 

[Jerry]

The construction of the new Five mile lane has begun. The road should be completed in summer 2019.
http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/e...f-new-Five-Mile-Lane-officially-underway.aspx

 

[Sean123]

Thats good news jerry it seems an age since it was first announced

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The construction of the new Five mile lane has begun. The road should be completed in summer 2019.
http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/e...f-new-Five-Mile-Lane-officially-underway.aspx

Is this a new road or the widening of an existing one? Does the airport-city centre shuttle bus travel via this route and will these improvements potentially speed up the shuttle journey?

On another matter, I was in Bristol city centre this afternoon and saw a mini bus bearing the logo 'Cardiff Airport Official Transport' with 'Wales Air Link' also painted on the vehicle. Is this operated on behalf of the airport? I wonder what it was doing in the West Country today. I know it's not the shuttle which are full-size buses.

 

[Jerry]

Is this a new road or the widening of an existing one?

It looks like they are building a new one possibly next to it. Five Mile Lane is the A4226 which is the road marked in red, it links down from the A48 to where it joins Port Road on the edge of Barry so though it doesn't go straight to the airport it does provide a better road link to the west with the A48. The T9 follows the blue road from the airport along Port road then up to Culverhouse Cross then along the A4232 to Cardiff Bay.
View attachment 8070

On another matter, I was in Bristol city centre this afternoon and saw a mini bus bearing the logo 'Cardiff Airport Official Transport' with 'Wales Air Link' also painted on the vehicle. Is this operated on behalf of the airport? I wonder what it was doing in the West Country today. I know it's not the shuttle which are full-size buses.

Flight Link Wales are a taxi/chaffuer firm based at Cardiff Airport. They've got a desk in arrivals so i'm assuming as part of that they get the title of Cardiff Airport Official transport. I assume as well they do other work apart from Cardiff Airport but hopefully they were picking up people to fly from the airport!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for all that, Jerry. I doubt they were picking up for a flight today as I saw the vehicle around three o'clock and the last CWL departure today was 1420. They might have been dropping off though with Alicante, Rome amd Edinburgh the ones that would have roughly fed into the timescale.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Having driven down the file mile lane hundreds of times, it’s possibly one of the most dangerous roads I’ve ever been on.

With regards to whats being done to it, it’s bit of both really, a large portion of the road is staying with some bits being added in to make it safer. Like stated above, it won’t help the T9 but will help A48 access. It doesn’t really help the motorway access too much as the A48 to pendoylan motorway link up is still a single track lane in many parts.

 

[Jerry]

It doesn’t really help the motorway access too much as the A48 to pendoylan motorway link up is still a single track lane in many parts.

I saw a post on a facebook page and the person said that it was ironic that the people who were so vocal against a link to M4 were people from Pendoylan who would've benefitted the most as there village would've lost all the traffic cutting through it.