The Anonymous Widower

Cardiff Northwest Corridor Tram-Train Report Published

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

This is the introductory paragraph.

Proposals have been published for the development of a tram-train network to serve housing developments on the Northwest Corridor between Cardiff and Llantrisant.

And this paragraph describes the route.

The report looks at a route making use of the existing City Line railway from Cardiff and then following a safeguarded former railway alignment to M4 Junction 33 and Creigiau. Possible extensions could run from Creigiau to Cross Inn and Pontyclun and from Cross Inn to Miskin, Talbot Green, Llantrisant and Beddau.

This map shows the route from the City Line to Creigiau.

Note.

  1. The City Line to Radyr passing through Waun-Gron Park, Fairwater and Danescourt, which is shown in yellow.
  2. The South Wales Main Line running across the bottom of the map, which is shown in orange.
  3. The M4 running Westerly from the North-East corner of the map.
  4. The A4232 runs North-South and meets the M4 at Junction 33.
  5. Creigiau is in the North-West corner of the map.

The route of the tram-train would follow the route of the disused railway between the City Line and Creigiau, which is shown as a dotted line, identified with the code LTO.

This second map from OpenRailwayMap shows the area around Junction 33 of the M4.

Note.

  1. The M4 going across the map.
  2. The A4232 going South from Junction 33.
  3. The proposed tram-train line passing to the East of Junction 33.

I suspect that as there is a BP petrol station and a Travel Lodge at the junction, there is a lot of scope to create a comprehensive Park-and-Ride hub for Cardiff, that would be served by the new tram-train.

The third OpenRailwayMap shows the various routes from Creigiau.

Note.

  1. Creigiau is in the South-East corner of the map.
  2. Cross Inn is in the middle of the map.
  3. The South Wales Main Line, which is shown in orange, cuts across the the South-West corner of the map.

The ultimate destinations of Miskin, Pontyclun, Talbot Green, Llantrisant and Beddau all have disused railway tracks leading to Cross Inn.

Serving The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint moved to Llantrisant in the late 1960s and it could be served by the tram-train, as it is to the North of the town, close to a disused railway line.

I must admit, I am very surprised, that a company that employs 10,000 people doesn’t have a nearby railway station.

But then the move of the Royal Mail to Wales was planned by Harold Wilson’s government, which was led by a man, who believed that railways were irrelevant and everybody should have their own cars.

 

 

 

 

June 15, 2022 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 4 Comments