UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to formally endorse Transport for Wales’ long-term rail improvement blueprint today, alongside Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan.
Funding confirmed in the latest Spending Review will kickstart a pipeline of projects expected to support 12,000 jobs across Wales and underpin a decade of sustained rail construction.
Seven new stations are now in the pipeline: Magor and Undy, Llanwern, Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Cardiff Parkway and a new station serving Deeside Industrial Park. The five so-called Burns stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel Junction have secured £90m over the next four years, with work beginning this year. Magor and Undy is expected to be completed first.
Cardiff Parkway, long associated with the Hendre Lakes business park development, will now progress under a joint approach between the UK Government, Welsh Government and private investors. The broader scheme is forecast to support around 6,000 jobs.
Ministers have also committed £60m towards the transformation of Cardiff Central railway station, bringing total UK Government backing to £78m. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2026, with the majority of works due for completion by 2029.
A further £40m will be invested to increase line speeds on the South Wales Relief Lines between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, unlocking additional capacity for both passenger and freight services. Up to £30m more has been earmarked for improvements at Cardiff West Junction, enabling more frequent Core Valley Lines services.
In North Wales, upgrades around Padeswood will tackle freight bottlenecks on the Wrexham–Liverpool line, allowing for two trains per hour and facilitating delivery of the new Deeside station. Safety and service enhancements on the North Wales Coast Main Line — including replacement footbridges at Prestatyn and Abergele — are backed by around £30m.
The headline schemes form part of a broader 43-project enhancement programme overseen by the Wales Rail Board, bringing together the Welsh and UK Governments, Transport for Wales and Network Rail.
Transport for Wales estimates the full programme under consideration could cost up to £14bn, subject to future Spending Reviews. If delivered in full, ministers claim it could generate £6.3bn in wider economic benefits, add 13.3 million rail journeys annually and reduce car trips by 3.8 million each year.
Construction activity alone is expected to create more than 6,000 jobs, alongside over 1,000 permanent roles once the schemes are operational.
English 