North Wales to enjoy slice of £343m investment to upgrade Welsh railways

North Wales is set to enjoy a slice of a £343m by the UK Government to upgrade Welsh railways.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today set out plans to deliver better journeys for passengers in the country

The raft of schemes to be funded includes advancing plans for cutting-edge digital signalling on the Cambrian line, which runs from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli

Around £3m will be spent on the 241-kilometre route to modernise the network, improve the reliability of services, and support the introduction of a new fleet in December 2022.

Part of a separate £2m allocation will go towards the next phase of development work on proposals to speed up journeys between Chester and Llandudno Junction, through better aligned tracks and exploring putting additional services on the line.

The announcement of the new projects follows major reforms to the network over the past months, such as the devolution of powers over the Core Valley line in south Wales to the Welsh Government.

Mr Shapps said: “The host of improvements we are delivering across Wales, from huge infrastructure upgrades to creating new and modern stations, are vital to deliver better, quicker and more convenient journeys for passengers within, into and out of Wales.

“We want to transform travel for passengers and, as we build back better from Covid-19, we will ensure our investment helps to level up all parts of the UK.

“By upgrading, improving and – crucially – modernising our railways, we will make good on our promise to deliver the reliable journeys passengers deserve.”

Wales Office Minister David TC Davies said: “Communities across Wales will benefit from this multi-million package of rail investment, aimed at delivering rail services that are fit for the future.

“From proposals to speed up services, improving access for those who need it most and boosting connectivity, these improvements form part of our broader plans to level up the nations and regions of the UK as we rebuild our economy following the coronavirus.”

Almost £4m has also been invested towards building a new station at Bow Street between Borth and Aberystwyth to help improve connectivity and ease congestion on roads in the area.

The station is expected to open early next year.