Media centre

Tuesday 20 Jul 2010

MORE STATIONS IN WALES MAKING RAIL PROGRESS

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Around 50 stations in Wales have started to benefit from improvements made in the last two years and there is still more work to be done, Network Rail said today.

A third amongst these stations that have seen work completed are Aber, Severn Tunnel Junction, Whitland, Bridgend, Llanbradach, Llandaf, Machynlleth, Aberdovey and Betws-y Coed.  They have been refurbished with better facilities, such as real-time customer information system, new waiting shelters and step-free access.

Speaking in Llandudno to welcome a grant by the Welsh European Funding Office, the company aims to improve even more stations in Wales over the next five years and has urged for continued support from local government and business.

Chris Rayner, route director, Network Rail said:"Britain relies on rail.  A robust railway is very often the heartbeat for a growing economy and it needs to be supported by well-equipped stations across the network.  In addition, good stations can often be the catalysts for rail demand and future investments through the regeneration of towns and cities. 

“We know modern stations are important to passengers in Wales and we want to achieve even more successes for them.  We need businesses and local government to continue to voice their support for rail and its part in the prosperous economy.”

Network Rail aims to improve more than half of the stations on the Arriva Trains Wales network by 2014, through working with the Department for Transport, the Welsh Assembly Government and Arriva Trains Wales.

The additional funding from the Wales European Funding Office will build on the proposed investment from the industry for the next five years and within the convergence areas only.