New train station shunted down the ‘priority list’

A PROPOSED train station near Swansea’s Liberty Stadium has been shunted down the priority list in a move which has “hugely disappointed” the area’s AM.

Landore, along with Cockett, was among 12 potential new or reopened train stations in Wales which made it onto a shortlist in 2017.

But further assessment has culled the dozen down to four, and both Landore and Cockett fell by the wayside.

The Welsh Government said the criteria included deliverability, operational considerations, demand forecasts and cost.

Passenger numbers at Cockett were forecast to be around four times higher than Landore, but still lower than five of the other 12.

Swansea East AM Mike Hedges, whose patch covers Landore, said: “I am hugely disappointed as Landore station would provide easy access to the Liberty Stadium and a means of accessing trains without the need to go into the city centre.”

The Labour AM said he would keep pressing for the Landore station to be reopened, and said he believed it would be of more use to the city than the proposed West Wales Parkway station at Felindre.

This proposed parkway station, which has been championed by Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns, was not part of the assessment.

The only one of the four train stations in South West Wales on the new shortlist is St Clears, Carmarthenshire. The four stations will now be assessed in more detail.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The proposals for the remaining (eight) stations will be considered when additional resources become available.”

Cardiff Bay and Swansea Council leaders are separately exploring the idea of a Swansea Bay Metro scheme to improve rail and bus journeys in and around the city.

Council leader Rob Stewart has consistently said that a £20 million parkway station at Felindre would be welcome if it was part of a much larger UK Government rail investment in the region.

But the council has not commented on the Landore and Cockett announcements.