Transport for Wales has agreed to join the Urban Transport Group-the collection of 13 transport authorities-as an associate member.
Members of the group include; Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, London, Sheffield City Region, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire, and Associate Members in Strathclyde, the West of England, Tees Valley, Nottingham and Northern Ireland.
TfW was established in 2016 and took over running the Wales and Borders rail service in 2018. It is investing £5 billion from 2018-2033 to improve to the frequency and quality of rail services. It also plans to transform the South Wales Metro through a three quarter of a billion project, making it easier for people to travel across the Cardiff Capital Region through an integrated rail, bus and active travel network.
Stephen Edwards, Chair of the Urban Transport Group and Executive Director at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, said: “I’m pleased to welcome Transport for Wales as an Associate Member of the Urban Transport Group. At a time when public transport faces increasingly tough challenges, it has never been more important for transport authorities to work together to share expertise and find the solutions to overcome them.
“Transport for Wales has a unique perspective on delivering transport services, including in the major centres of Cardiff and Swansea, and has already achieved a lot in its short history. By joining our professional network, they will add real value to our work and I look forward to collaborating closely with them.”
James Price, Chief Executive at Transport for Wales, added: “Our goal is to keep Wales moving and to deliver a transport network that our country can be proud of. I believe that accessing expertise and learning from the experiences of other transport authorities around the UK through the Urban Transport Group will be a real asset to the achievement of that goal. I’m delighted that Transport for Wales is joining such a distinguished network.”
As part of its ambitious plans to deliver integrated, safe and accessible transport for Wales, TfW will:
- Invest £800 million in new faster, greener trains for the South Wales Metro and the Wales and Borders rail service, as well as investing £40 million in its current fleet.
- Implement a station improvement vision, investing in all 247 railway stations across Wales.
