Transport for Wales, Network Rail, and Ceredigion County Council have begun work on the new £8m Bow Street station in Ceredigion, opening to passengers in 2020
Part-funded by the Department for Transport via the New Stations Fund, the new station will provide a link to the national rail network for the community of Bow Street for the first time since the former station was closed in 1965.
Bow Street station improvement vision
The new Bow Street station will include park and ride facilities, cycle storage and a multi-modal transport interchange.
This will transform transport for local residents, providing links for employment and educational opportunities. Through providing alterative travel, it will also help ease road congestion on local roads supporting the sustainability agenda.
Bow Street will benefit from the introduction of brand-new trains and an hourly weekday service from 2022, and other stations along the line will benefit from the investment as part of TfWs £194m Station Improvement Vision.
Located close to the UK Innovation and Research Campus that is being developed by Aberystwyth University, the station will provide access between the site and the University’s main campus in Aberystwyth itself.
The station will be served by trains on the Cambrian Line between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury and will be the first of several improvements to services on the line as part of TfWs transformation of Wales and Borders rail service.
Links to multi-purpose facilities
Ken Skates, minister for economy and transport, said: “Our vision for railways includes the opening of new stations and the improvement of connectivity across all regions in Wales. This is the beginning of delivering that ambition.
“Bow Street Station will improve links to employment, business, education and leisure facilities in Mid Wales.
“We have been clear about the need for greater investment by the UK Government so we welcome this funding from the Department for Transport, which sits alongside our own funding.
“We look forward to further joint working and investment from the UK Government, which has responsibility for rail infrastructure under the current devolution settlement, to improve rail infrastructure in all parts of Wales.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: “I’m delighted that work has started on the new station at Bow Street as it’s an important part of our plans to transform transport throughout the whole of Wales.
“This is the first station we’re building since we took over the Wales and Borders rail service, and we’ve committed to at least five further schemes, demonstrating our commitment to investing in connecting communities throughout Wales to the rail network.”
Claire Williams, community rail officer, added: “The Bow Street Interchange project will make the railway more accessible for passengers from all over the county as well as reducing the amount of congestion on the roads within the area, therefore reducing the carbon emissions which of course is fundamentally better for the environment.
“The Cambrian Railway Partnership is proud to have been involved in this project from its inception and look forward to its opening later this year.”
