Integrated Transport within South Wales West

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:39 pm on 2 April 2019.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:39, 2 April 2019

I thank Dr Lloyd for that. On 21 March, Llywydd, a meeting took place. It was organised by the Wales Office, but representatives of the Welsh Government were there as well. It heard from Professor Stuart Cole in relation to the ideas that he has developed around a new parkway station at Felindre, but it also looked at the Arup assessment of other potential parkway solutions—at Llansamlet, for example, looking at the advantages that it may have. The meeting ended with an emerging consensus that the success of any new station, as well as improving the attractiveness of existing ones, is dependent on additional regional and local services. And those services are needed, both to Swansea High Street and along the Swansea district line, in order to reduce journey times beyond Swansea to Carmarthen and further west. In that way, I think we have some emerging consensus that focusing on—in a way, the point that Dr Lloyd was making—the services, as well as the location of stations, is the way that we need to move this agenda forward.