Cardiff Parkway Business Park - and new St Mellons Station

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/plans-revealed-huge-new-development-12247891

Private-sector led plans for a new parkway station serving eastern Cardiff just south of St Mellons. Requested 75% of funds from government (UK) and 25% to be funded as a developer contribution. The development that would support this would be a business park with circa 1,000,000 square feet of space, which they argue could support upto 15,000 jobs. They say they will target "inward investors" operating in areas as diverse as technology and financial and professional services.

Thoughts:
- a station at St Mellons would be good, although not sure it will really be able to serve all people in the Rumney, Llanrumney and St Mellons area as they seem to claim. It'd only really be a "local" station for those on the south-eastern side of St Mellons and would probably do better as a park and ride scheme.
- I think the business park proposals are pie-in-the-sky, at least anything as grand as this. Haven't there already been plans for this site for years? Remember the plans for an "international business park" at M4 J33.

More generally I think theres growing signs of a bit of overreach in the Cardiff commercial property market. I just don't see the demand for this space and the millions of square feet planned at Central Quay. Actually, both schemes have something else in common - a local developer/business who has recently done well, and might now be a little overconfident about their ability to deliver very large schemes in a city that actually does not have very large demands. While we're at it, I also don't see the BoxCity proposal coming off either - especially now Dr Who is leaving.

I think if something happens here its more likely to involve:
- park and ride
- a much smaller commercial development
- some residential development

Very ambitious proposals, I'll admit. But this is the perfect location for high-tech business. If we want these companies to set up here, we have to show them this sort of ambition. I don't think it's a coincidence that the government catapult to make the Cardiff region the "Silicon Valleys" was approved recently. I grew up in St Mellons, and was always so frustrated at the lack of a train station into the centre, so I'll be watching this closely!

Very ambitious proposals, I'll admit. But this is the perfect location for high-tech business. If we want these companies to set up here, we have to show them this sort of ambition. I don't think it's a coincidence that the government catapult to make the Cardiff region the "Silicon Valleys" was approved recently. I grew up in St Mellonsand was always so frustrated at the lack of a train station into the centre, so I'll be watching this closely!

being from s'mell aint a crime mate, no need to feel bad about it.

Just when you thought we might get train times to London back down, along comes this extra stop to slow them down again.

London to Edinburgh: Track distance 393 Miles
Fastest time: 4hr 0min
98mph

London to Cardiff: Track distance 143 Miles
Fastest Time 1hr 59mins
71mph


Maybe the BBC could move there to be close to the new Cardiff Parkway Station?

I think the plan would be for London trains to go straight through, at least initially (they talk about trains to Ebbw, Cheltenham and Portsmouth stopping). I guess there is a question of whether Cardiff will get through trains to Heathrow if there is a Heathrow spur - and if so, whether they would stop here.

If the station is going to be called Cardiff Parkway it sounds like a mainline station where you drive to it, park and get on the London train, except that I'm very sceptical that GWR will be stopping a few minutes after leaving Central. It would be less attractive if Ebbw Vale & Portsmouth trains were the only stoppers. It could be a lot more useful as a park and ride into Cardiff if there were enough trains per hour and room on them.

I think there are up to 4 trains per hour at the moment? I guess they could have a dedicated shuttle service to and from Central, making it more frequent. But might be an issue in terms of rolling stock and in terms of capacity at peak times.

A little moan: people constantly complain about "4-carriage trains going up the Valleys at peak period". But how do people expect the trains to come down the Valleys if they don't first go back up them?! Main thing is we need extra carriages to ensure every train has 4 carriages - at least on the Taff line.

A shuttle would be a goer if there's enough track capacity and as you say, subject to available rolling stock. I'd hope we'd be a lot further down the line with Metro and new trains by 2020. Ever the optimist

Of course if the station doesn't get the funding this is all academic.

Good to see that things are going on behind the scenes to get this project going forward.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-40596185

Interesting. I wonder how a private sector station would work though? They cut a deal with network rail or the train companies? 'Have your trains stop at our station and we'll give you x revenue?'

Surely they'll want a slice of the Paddington action? How accessible will it be from St Mellons?