Major changes announced for train travel in one part of Wales
A huge plan to transform train services in north Wales has been announced
Major changes are proposed for north Wales services including Wrexham General
(Image: Google Maps )
The Welsh Government has said it wants to electrify the north Wales mainline in a newly-published grand plan for how it aims to improve rail services in north Wales. The plan includes short-term improvements, like increasing the frequency of services and removing level crossings so services can flow more smoothly, right through to electrifying the north Wales mainline and Metro-style services to all stations.
A plan being announced on Thursday looks at short-, medium-, and long-term plans for the area with some starting in the next six months and others going right through to 2035 and beyond.
In the next six months plans include speaking to people about closing level crossings, renaming the Borderlands Line as Wrexham to Liverpool, and investigating what it can do to improve connectivity between north Wales and London. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
The plan is for work to begin immediately to begin discussing major improvements on the north Wales mainline and Marches line. It would mean improvements to stations and lines as well as increased frequency of services.
What are the aims and how long will they take?
Six- to 12-month timescale
Improvements on stations between Wrexham and Liverpool
Double train service frequency between Wrexham and Chester
50% more Transport for Wales (TfW) services on the north Wales mainline
New bus stations to help jobs between Wrexham and Deeside
Pay as you go fares in north east Wales
Metro branding on trains and buses as well as stations
Direct services between Liverpool and Llandudno
One to three years
Upgrading Padeswood station
A "reliable" two trains per hour on Wrexham to Liverpool line
Complete development work on electrification
Improve Buckley station
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Five years
New stations including connecting Deeside Industrial Estate
Improved connectivity to Manchester Airport
Consistent rail timetable for the north Wales mainline
New trains
Upgrade Gobowen Signal to increase Marches line capacity
Prepare for electrification of north Wales mainline
By 2035
North Wales mainline electrified with new rolling stock being rolled out and more services
Chester station enhanced
Improved connections between Wrexham General and Central
Four trains per hour between Wrexham and Liverpool
Enhanced connections to Liverpool South Parkway
Redouble the line between Wrexham and Chester
Improve accessibility at stations
Beyond 2035
Metro-style services to all stations south of Wrexham to Gobowen to Crewe
Tram-train connections to "key settlements"
Improve journey times between north and south Wales
New stations north and south of Wrexham including A55 Parkway
Enhanced connectivity to Warrington Bank Quay
Marches Line resignalling and electrification
Northern Line connections
A map of Welsh Government proposals for the North Wales mainline
(Image: Welsh Government )
The operation of the railway in Wales is a Welsh Government responsibility. However infrastructure planning and the funding of Network Rail in Wales remains reserved to the UK Parliament.
Electrifying the north Wales mainline was something suggested by former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but his party conference announcement was derided as having no plans behind it. The Welsh Government's then-transport minister said at the time that any discussions between the-then UK and Welsh Governments were looking at a range of projects but this had never been discussed.
On October 4, 2023, Mr Sunak stood on the stage at the Conservative party conference and confirmed he was scrapping the HS2 line to Manchester. Instead he promised transport improvements "in all parts of the country" including to electrify the north Wales mainline.
However the Labour administration in Wales said it had not been informed of the plans.
In the Senedd Lee Waters MS said: "We've had no conversations with the UK Government about this." The cost, it later was estimated, was around £1bn but even that was disputed by Mr Waters who said: "We have no idea of the cost of it" and claimed the £1bn was "a finger in the air figure".
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When Mr Sunak visited Wales the following February we asked him what was happening with the scheme. He told us a meeting happened to be happening that day but three months later his then levelling up minister Michael Gove admitted there was no progress.
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