13 Jan 2020
Transport for Wales has begun work on the new £8-million railway station at Bow Street in Ceredigion.
Opening to passengers in 2020, the station, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the Department for Transport, will include park and ride facilities, cycle storage and a multi-modal transport interchange. The scheme is being delivered by TfW, Network Rail and Ceredigion County Council.
Part funded by the Department for Transport via the New Stations Fund , the new station will provide a link to the national rail network for the community of Bow Street for the first time since the former station was closed in 1965. This will transform transport for local residents, providing links for employment and educational opportunities. Through providing alterative travel, it will also help ease road congestion on local roads supporting the sustainability agenda.
Located close to the UK Innovation and Research Campus that is being developed by Aberystwyth University, the station will provide access between the site and the University’s main campus in Aberystwyth itself.
The station will be served by trains on the Cambrian Line between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, and will be the first of several improvements to services on the line as part of TfWs transformation of the Wales and Borders rail service.
Bow Street will benefit from the introduction of brand new trains and an hourly weekday service from 2022, and other stations along the line will benefit from investment as part of TfWs £194 million Station Improvement Vision.
Ken Skates, Minister for Economy and Transport, said:
“Our vision for railways includes the opening of new stations and the improvement of connectivity across all regions in Wales. This is the beginning of delivering that ambition. Bow Street Station will improve links to employment, business, education and leisure facilities in Mid Wales.
“We have been clear about the need for greater investment by the UK Government so we welcome this funding from the Department for Transport, which sits alongside our own funding. We look forward to further joint working and investment from the UK Government, which has responsibility for rail infrastructure under the current devolution settlement, to improve rail infrastructure in all parts of Wales.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said:
“I’m delighted that work has started on the new station at Bow Street as it’s an important part of our plans to transform transport throughout the whole of Wales.
“This is the first station we’re building since we took over the Wales and Borders rail service, and we’ve committed to at least five further schemes, demonstrating our commitment to investing in connecting communities throughout Wales to the rail network.”
Claire Williams, Community Rail Officer said:
“The Bow Street Interchange project will make the railway more accessible for passengers from all over the county as well as reducing the amount of congestion on the roads within the area, therefore reducing the carbon emissions which of course is fundamentally better for the environment. The Cambrian Railway Partnership is proud to have been involved in this project from its inception and look forward to its opening later this year.”
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Councillor Dafydd Edwards, Ceredigion Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services together with Housing said:
“The construction of the new Public Transport Interchange facility at Bow Street fits clearly into all four strategic priorities identified by Ceredigion County Council. These are designed to enhance the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being for the citizens of Ceredigion and the scheme builds on the work already carried out by the council in providing more sustainable access to Aberystwyth and beyond.”
Councillor Paul Hinge said:
“This multi-modal scheme will help to enhance employment opportunities here in North Ceredigion whilst providing a much needed Active-Travel facility taking vehicle journeys off the busy roads into Aberystwyth helping us to reduce the carbon emissions we expend here in our part of the world.
“For me, the Bow Street Transport Interchange is a culmination of years of hard work with many partners and the community at large to restore what was a vital facility to us here on the West Wales coast. My thanks must go to all who helped prepare the bid and to the various funding bodies who agreed that our business plan was one to invest into.”
