WAG has identified that the rail services in the Sewta area have the highest proportions of business/commuting ticket types in Wales. 50% of Valley Lines journeys relate to commuting and 52% of Cardiff originating journeys are commuting, leading to high peak period demands and overcrowding. Cardiff and Valley Lines trains are on average around 114% full in the morning and evening peaks and that station car parks are full. However, individual peak trains can be significantly overloaded.

Valley Lines patronage has grown at a rate of 10% per annum since 1998. The Wales RPA estimates a 25.1% passenger growth between 2006 and 2016 and 40.6% by 2026. Three quarters of this growth will be trips to and from Cardiff (40%) and on the Valley Lines (25%) and other South East Wales destinations (9%).

Based on recent trends and the emerging Regional Transport Plan Sewta considers these forecasts for future rail use to be conservative, and that there could be significant further passenger demand growth in the future leading to much higher levels of overcrowding.

The key infrastructure into Cardiff is under extreme pressure and will need to be upgraded to accommodate growth of more than 20% extra capacity at the busiest peak times by 2014.

Sewta says that the UK Government's White Paper highlights large schemes such as the £425m rail bottle neck project for Reading but some of the smaller short-term schemes in S E Wales mentioned in the White Paper that will allow growth to take place, such as tackling the capacity constraining section between Cogan Junction and Cardiff Queen Street North Junction, are vital and must not be abandoned or have their scope curtailed.

Sewta is working with Network Rail to identify a further network enhancement scheme, which will provide additional capacity to improve reliability and increase services in the future. This would involve additional infrastructure measures at Cardiff, Queen Street, Cardiff Central and Cogan.

Beyond the completion of the existing programme of targeted capacity enhancements, Sewta places this scheme as its highest priority, as it affects the majority of "Valley Line" services, as well as regional ones, and welcomes the recognition given to it in the White Paper. It is vital that the funding is made available at the earliest opportunity.

The identified capacity improvement project includes track work and signalling and an additional platform and bridge span over Newport Road. Evaluation of the scheme, coupled with additional hourly services between Cardiff and Pontypridd or Porth and Caerphilly or Ystrad Mynach in 2012 and a further frequency increase on both lines in 2017, is currently being undertaken by Network Rail as part of the Wales Route Utilisation Strategy.

The scheme would provide:-

     . significant performance benefits to users;
     . user overcrowding relief benefits;
     . significant user time savings;
     . non-user decongestion benefits;
     . additional capacity for further growth in rail trips from the Valleys;
     . accommodate additional freight traffic; and
     . provide the opportunity to fill in the gaps created by freight trains

Expanding the Cardiff Area Signalling Renewal project represents an opportunity to improve the reliability of services on the Valleys and Cardiff local routes, and deliver the enhancements envisaged by the White Paper. This offers the opportunity to secure additional benefits to the region from 2011 which might otherwise be lost for a generation or which could only be secured through additional investment and further network disruption. It needs to be taken up by the Government, with the support of the Assembly.

Sewta are already working with Network Rail to implement the following £100 million programme;

. Llanharan New Station - December 2007;
. Ebbw Valley Railway - 6 new stations and an hourly service between Ebbw Vale Parkway and Cardiff late 2007;
. Valley Lines Platform Lengthening - March 2008, and;
. Merthyr Tydfil half hourly service in May 2008, involving capacity improvements between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil and a new station at Abercynon, with a strategic park and ride facility later in 2009.

In addition, measures for which a single option has been identified for development but which are not yet funded for implementation include:

. Rhymney half-hourly service (an extension of Bargoed services), involving capacity measures, a new station at Energlyn and park and ride at Llanbradach, and;
. Maesteg half-hourly service, involving capacity measures, a new station at Brackla and park and ride at Wildmill.

It is important that these two schemes are completed without delay. Both lines serve areas of deprivation, the northern stretches of which have seen no road improvements and therefore should be given priority.

A number of relatively small measures are also being developed by Network Rail to improve the reliability of existing rail services. Reliability measures are a high priority for the rail industry, and are central to the Government's vision for the delivery of a sustainable railway. By tackling performance, passengers' top priority for transport will be met, which will also help to attract and retain new users, building on a solid base of satisfied customers. It is important to make best use of the existing network, and provide a robust timetable, which has the ability to minimise delays to passengers.

Sewta therefore commends the following schemes, which are currently being developed, as ones which offer value for money and which should receive a share of the funding:

. At Barry station, the provision of an additional signal would enable trains to start back from the down platform and allow trains to recover up to 8 minutes running time in the event of delays. A larger scheme, involving a turn-back platform, would keep terminating trains off the main line through the station.
. At Llandaff, an intermediate signal section on the up line would allow northbound trains to proceed closer to the junction at Radyr, thereby minimising delays caused by conflicting movements.
. Further platform lengthening would meet peak demand needs and increase the flexibility to operate 6-car trains on the Barry Line.

To provide the capacity and service frequency enhancements proposed within the improvement programme, additional rolling stock is required and Sewta is working in close co-operation with Arriva Trains Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government and the rail industry to achieve this common aim. Again a start has been made and the Assembly is already providing £100 million over the remaining life of the franchise to secure sixteen additional two car and two one car train sets.

However, continuation of the strong underlying growth for rail travel to Cardiff means that there will be more overcrowding of peak trains and a further need for additional rolling stock in the coming years. The promised investment in over 300 new trains by the UK Government to address the rapid growth in demand in cities such as Cardiff is welcomed. New trains in themselves generate considerable growth and Sewta is keen to support the work to secure new rolling stock instead of cascading old rolling stock from elsewhere to ensure its earliest implementation.

The Government has identified the expenditure that it wishes to spend on rail and its specification of what it wants the railway to deliver in terms of safety, reliability and capacity in the High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds available. This covers the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2014. These plans however are set in the context of a long term strategy that looks forward over 30 years, and which has been informed by the Wales Rail Planning Assessment.

Sewta's longer-term rail strategy, which builds upon the existing programme and provides a comprehensive action plan that will further improve rail infrastructure and services by the end of the current Wales and Borders franchise in 2018, underpins the Wales Rail Planning Assessment. But these plans need to be put into action much quicker, so that passengers can start experiencing the benefits as soon as possible.

Beyond improvements to reduce delays and improve reliability at key points on the network and a significant investment in the capacity at and between Cardiff, Queen Street and Cardiff Central stations, Sewta contends that investment in the next decade should concentrate on:

. further station security and access improvements
. more frequency enhancements on existing lines to meet passengers' expectations (of at least a half-hourly service and a turn-up-and-go service within the core journey to work area of Cardiff), specifically:
  - new half-hourly local services on the Abergavenny and Chepstow Lines;
  - a second hourly service between Ebbw Vale and Newport;
  - additional services to Caerphilly and Pontypridd
  - an additional hourly service on the Vale of Glamorgan Line
. new stations on existing lines, in association with service improvements, specifically at Caerleon, Llanwern, Coedkernew and St Mellons,
. network extensions to Ebbw Vale Town and from Pontyclun to Beddau with new stations at Talbot Green, Llantrisant, Gwaun Meisgyn & Beddau (Tynant);
. further rail-link bus services and increased parking at existing stations.

Whilst this programme addresses the particular needs of South East Wales, it is important to recognise the wider benefits it will bring to rail users across the nation. In particular the improvements at Cardiff will benefit all services passing through the station whether to West, Mid or North Wales or England.

The improvement on the Marches Line will establish a local service but in doing so will also free up the capacity and speed for regional services to Mid and North Wales, thereby supporting investment and prioritisation plans for the north-south links. However, whilst outside the geographical remit of the Wales Rail Planning Assessment, the actions of First Great Western services in flexing the times that their trains pass through Swindon, Reading and Paddington must not be allowed to have a negative impact on local capacity and connections on the South Wales Main Line between Carmarthen and the Severn Tunnel.

Sewta chair Tom Williams said: "Sewta contends that South East Wales faces the most acute transport, environmental and social problems in Wales. Therefore an increased proportion of Welsh Assembly Government expenditure on sustainable rail transport solutions should be focused here in the Sewta Region.

"The rail system in South East Wales is the most extensive and most intensively used railway outside the metropolitan areas. The network is widely recognised as vital to the economic regeneration of the region and our strategy identifies a number of major projects that will sustain considerable growth in use. Working with our partners to deliver this strategy, we are determined to further develop and improve our transport infrastructure to make public transport in the region, and rail in particular, the mode of first choice."

SEWTA WELCOMES CARDIFF CHAMBERS TRANSPORT PROPOSALS

Sewta, the alliance of local authorities and partners committed to improving transport in South-East Wales, has welcomed a new transport initiative by the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce published a consultation report on transport for Cardiff and the surrounding area. Their proposals include investment plans for roads, improved rail and bus services and better port facilities.

Central to their plan is a regional road user charging scheme. This would see drivers paying for use of some roads at certain times. Some of the income would be offset by reductions in existing road taxes and the rest would be used to improve the transport system.

Sewta chair Tom Williams said: "Our roads are becoming so clogged up with traffic that we have to take major and urgent steps to tackle the problem. A charge on road use is one of our proposals as well.

"We welcome the bold initiative by the Chamber of Commerce to promote the idea. We particularly welcome a step by the business community that will help the performance of the local economy. The Chamber says we need to move the debate on road user charging from "if" to "when and how". Sewta endorses that view.

"The majority of drivers support the principle of road user charging, but only if the money raised is used to benefit public transport and things really do get better.

"Many motorists fear that charging systems are merely a tax on motoring and a badly designed road user charging scheme would indeed make things worse. But it is possible to implement a scheme that makes the road system work better, improves public transport, makes industry and commerce more efficient and helps poorer people. Sewta has previously stated that is one of its main aims."

"We currently use our roads very inefficiently. A charging system, allied to better planning offers possible improvements across the board. We need to get on with the job of making it work, starting with detailed studies to identify proposals that are fair and of overall benefit to the region."

PUBLIC TRANSPORT GETS BETTER AND BETTER - SAYS SEWTA

Public transport is getting better and better and more people are using it according to monitoring by Sewta the alliance of local authorities and partners committed to improving sustainable transport in South-East Wales

Every year Sewta's Monitoring Group pull together information from their surveys and from publicly available sources to provide a comprehensive statement on the quality of travel in South East Wales.

This year's report has just been completed and it identifies a number of key trends and many positive messages about public transport services:

• Whilst cars are generally the fastest mode in free flow conditions rail can still be the quickest in the peak hours and demonstrated the least journey time variability.



• The number of trains has increased by 9.5 per cent



• Rail journeys are up by some 37 per cent since 1995/6 and by 3.3 per cent between 2003/4 and 2004/5 at some 22 million journeys. This represents some 75per cent of rail travel in Wales



• Trains arriving on time has increased from 80.8per cent to 81.25per cent (this period included the switch to standard pattern timetables)



• Bus patronage (some 70 million journeys in Sewta area) has risen by approximately 10 per cent since its lowest point in 2001/2. This represents some 70 per cent of bus travel in Wales.



• Bus punctuality is close to industry standard and major delays are rare except in very congested city centres

Full details of Sewta's monitoring are included in the 2006/7 Annual Report

Sewta chair Tom Williams said: "Once again it is pleasing to note that our monitoring surveys highlight some of the strengths of our public transport system and demonstrate that, for many, public transport can offer a good service. The results will help ensure that more people are encouraged to view public transport as their mode of choice - at least for some journeys.

"Sewta is passionate about the value of good public transport for the health and wellbeing, in its widest sense, of our communities and strongly believe that the emphasis of our plan on encouraging non car based travel will in years to come prove to have been far sighted. We have an opportunity to change directions and reduce our dependence on the car with a consequent improvement in our economy, environment and social inclusion."

PARK AND RIDE - THE BEST XMAS PRESENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Shoppers are being asked to have a "Green Christmas" this year by using Park and Ride facilities, car sharing and public transport in South East Wales for their gift-hunting expeditions.

The South East Wales Transport Alliance (Sewta) say Cardiff and Newport are offering excellent park and ride facilities for Christmas shopping this year and residents in all 10 Sewta local authorities can also sign up for the free carshare service www.sewalescarshare.com to help cut down the volume of Christmas-rush traffic even further.

Using Christmas Park and Ride services helps to take the strain out of shopping as you avoid queuing in traffic and it's a lot cheaper than parking in multi-storey car parks in the congested city centres and cuts co2 emissions.

In Cardiff, the destination for many South Wales shoppers, it costs just £3 per car (which includes bus travel) to park all day and there are buses approximately every 10 minutes to and from the city centre.

The Cardiff Park and Ride facilities are:

Leckwith (off Sloper Road) CF11 8SX
Monday to Friday until 4th January 2008 8.30am to 6pm, (9pm Thursdays)
(No service 24th, 25th, 26th December and 1st January)
A 9 minute journey to city centre (High Street)
Low floor buses for easy access operating every 10 minutes, the car park is attendant-controlled with CCTV coverage

Directions:
From the east or west, come off at junction 33 of the M4 and follow the A4232 and take third exit for city centre and follow signs for Park and Ride.

IKEA (Ferry Road) CF11 0XR
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, until 21st December 2007
The shuttle service to/from the city centre is provided on bus service 9 and 9A by Cardiff Bus. Tickets for the service cost £3 per car.
Low floor buses for easy access operating every 15 minutes

Directions:
From the east or west, come off at junction 33 of the M4 and follow the A4232 and take fourth exit for IKEA and Retail Park and follow signs for Park and Ride.

County Hall (Cardiff Bay) CF10 4UW
Every Saturday 9am to 6pm and every Sunday 10am to 5.30pm
Low floor buses for easy access operating every 10 minutes with a 6 minute journey to city centre (Dumfries Place). The car park is attendant-controlled with CCTV coverage.

Directions :
From the east, come off at junction 29 of the M4 and follow signs for Park and Ride to Cardiff Bay.
From the west, come off at junction 33 of the M4 and follow the A4232 to Cardiff Bay. Take a left as you come out under the Butetown Tunnel and another immediate left and turn right into County Hall.

Crown Way (off North Road) CF14 3UZ
Every Saturday 9am to 6pm
Sundays 10am to 5.30pm until 30th December 2007
7 minute journey to city centre (Greyfriars Road)
Low floor buses for easy access operating every 10 minutes. The car park is attendant-controlled with CCTV

Directions:
From junction 32 of the M4 take the A470 for the city centre and follow Park and Ride signs for Crown Way.
From junction 29 of the M4 take the A48(M) and come off at Gabalfa Interchange (5th exit for the city centre).Then take the second exit on the roundabout for North Road. Follow signs for Park and Ride.

Further information can be obtained from Cardiff Council Contact Centre: "C2C (Connect to Cardiff) Tel. 029 2087 2087"

Meanwhile Cardiff Bus is offering 'Day to Go' tickets to take the hassle out of Christmas shopping. The tickets can be bought on board the bus and offer unlimited travel all day on Cardiff Buses at £3 for an adult, £2 for a child and £7 for a family ticket. (Terms and conditions apply.)

Cardiff Bus' Marketing Co-ordinator, Victoria Rees said: "Our 'Day to Go' tickets offer excellent value for money as they allow our customers to enjoy unlimited travel throughout the day with just one ticket. With Christmas coming more people than ever before are buying these flexible tickets as 'Day to Go' tickets allow you to hop on and off buses all day long with no car parking space required".

Newport City Council is providing a FREE Christmas Park and Ride facility from the Civic Centre car parks NP20 4UR. The Park and Ride bus runs every 10 minutes between 9am and 6pm every Saturday (until December 30) stopping at Faulkner Road Car Park and outside Pizza Hut in the City Centre.

To help beat Christmas congestion you could also car share with your friends or neighbours or even complete strangers by signing up to the free service offered by Sewta - at www.sewalescarshare.com

Accessed via the internet www.sewalescarshare.com links drivers with passengers to share car journeys together. You can car share to work, to do your Christmas shopping, parties - or to anywhere from anywhere at anytime. It cuts travel costs, congestion and pollution.

You just sign up with a few personal details, log in and register your journey details for free. The system will then tell you if anyone else is going in the same direction, leaving it up to you to make contact through a secure e-mail connection, and arrange to share both the journey and the costs of travel.

Councillor Tom Williams of Caerphilly, Chair of Sewta, said:
"Using Park and Ride facilities, public transport and carsharing are good ways to beat congestion, save money, and help the environment. I urge all shoppers to consider using these services this Christmas."