Businesses and decision makers gather in Swindon to bring the world’s future railways to South Wales and Western England

The event was led by the Western Gateway, in partnership with D2, The Future Smiths, and sponsored by SO modular. It was the first event in the Western Gateway’s Rail Innovation Series, which looks at how new technology and methods can be put into practice to deliver cost effective solutions for the areas rail network.

The series builds on the Western Gateway’s 2050 Rail Vision which highlighted the area’s engineering strengths as one way to deliver much need improvements to rail services across the area, looking at innovative methods for quicker trains and building new stations.

The first event focused on ‘Modern Methods of Construction for Future Rail Stations’ and brought together businesses and decision makers from across South Wales and Western England to facilitate networking and promote opportunities to improve rail infrastructure and cost efficiency. 
 
The event provided a platform for innovators in modern methods of construction to hear from and present to the likes of Network Rail, Transport for Wales, the Rail Industry Association, the Rail Forum and other sector specialists with a focus on station and infrastructure design to 2050. 

The Western Gateway is the pan-regional partnership for South Wales and Western England which reaches from Swansea Bay to Swindon. The partnership brings together business, academia and governments from both sides of the union to work together in partnership to create new opportunities for the 4.5 million people who live here. 

The Rail Innovation Series was developed on the back of the launch of the Western Gateway’s 2050 Rail Vision which highlights a transformative, deliverable shared ambition for the area that showcases a real opportunity to unlock productivity for the rest of the UK and offers good value for money.

Since the launch of the vision, support has grown amongst, MPs, local authorities and businesses. 

Co-chair of the Western Gateway APPG and local MP, the Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland made an appearance and said: 

“A fully functioning and efficient rail system is essential if we are to reach our carbon emission targets and improve our below average productivity and this has been the focus for the Western Gateway Rail Vision 2050.  

“I was delighted to attend this exciting event led by the Western Gateway and in partnership with D2 and local Swindon organisation, The Future Smiths. It really highlighted the importance of collaborative working and the benefits of bringing together industry and decision makers to create delivery opportunities.”  

Deputy Director of the Western Gateway, James Cooke says: “As a centre of innovation, with prize assets such as the Global Centre for Rail Excellence and the UK’s first Station Innovation Zone at Bristol Temple Meads, the Western Gateway can help reduce costs of improving the rail network and is ready to better connect the whole of the UK. 

“To host an event like this on the day that we also announce our formal endorsement for the Global Centre for Rail Excellence Vision demonstrates our commitment to take our Vision to the next stage and convene the talent we have to turn this into cost-effective delivery that meets high-quality design standards”  

Chief Executive of GCRE Limited, Simon Jones says: “We are delighted that the Western Gateway has signed the open letter and provided their endorsement for the Global Centre for Rail Excellence vision”  

“Their support once again highlights the strong level of commercial support and demand there is for the GCRE facility and the potential to collaborate across academia and the public sector’.  

“GCRE will be a site for world-class rail research, product development and testing, providing the rail sector across both the UK and Europe with a unique facility to support high quality innovation and R&D; vital as it grapples with challenges such as decarbonisation.  

“As the Western Gateway has itself shown, it will also help further enhance the infrastructure, knowledge and skills being developed in South Wales and the South West to support cutting- edge net zero transition, providing a fantastic platform on which to grow the region's economy over the coming decade” 

The 2050 Rail Vision calls on the Government to commit to completing the following schemes in the short term, opening up access to opportunities and investment to local communities:  

• South Wales Main Line Programme 

• Swansea Bay Metro (initial phase) 
• South Wales Metro (expansion) 
• MetroWest (initial phase) 
• WECA Transport Corridors 

In the long term, the vision looks for investment to fund: 

• Remaining electrification (beyond current SWML proposals) 
• Speed enhancements (beyond current SWML proposals) 
• Increasing the numbers four track railways to allow for increased capacity. 
• Improvements to the Severn crossing 

About Global Centre for Rail Excellence  

GCRE will become the UK’s first ever net zero railway, supporting the innovation needed to aid the UKs path to net zero and, crucially, helping lower the costs of major rail infrastructure projects. Located on a former open cast mine in the Dulais Valley, it will create long-term, high-quality jobs in an area of multiple deprivation and become a magnet for other, high-quality investments and R&D funding as part of an active industrial policy. 

Web - https://www.gcre.wales/