UK: Cardiff Crossrail and the Mid-Cornwall Metro are amongst 29 transport projects allocated a total of £672m as part of £2·1bn of government funding for ‘levelling up’ schemes.
| Lead applicant | Bid | Value £m | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincolnshire Borough Council | Barton Principal Town Regeneration Project | 19·7 | Transport improvements, with work at the station to include new cycle parking, an extension of the car park and bus shelter upgrades. |
| Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council | Willenhall Garden City | 20·0 | New homes and station on the freight-only Walsall to Wolverhampton line. |
| Cardiff Council | Cardiff Crossrail Phase 1 | 50·0 | New link between Cardiff Central station and the Cardiff Bay branch via Callaghan Square; the Welsh government is match funding with a further £50m. There will be two new platforms at Cardiff Central station, a regular tram service from Cardiff Central to a new platform at Cardiff Bay, and an extension to Pierhead Street . |
| Cornwall Council | Mid-Cornwall Metro | 50·0 | Through services linking Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth, with better walking and cycling access to stations. |
| West Devon Borough Council | West Devon Transport Hub | 13·5 | New station on the eastern edge of Okehampton, to be known as Okehampton Parkway, with cycle facilities and electric vehicle charging points. |
| Greater London Authority | Transforming Colindale and Leyton for all | 43·2 | Step free access to London Underground’s Leyton and Colindale stations. |
| London Borough of Sutton | Belmont Rail Frequency Improvement | 14·1 | Turnback siding south of Belmont station to enable services from London Victoria to be increased from two to four per hour, with the station geting accessibility improvements, better signage and new walking and cycling routes to the London Cancer Hub life sciences campus. |
| City of Lincoln Council | Lincoln Western Growth Corridor - Eastern Transport Access Scheme | 20·0 | Construction of two bridges over the railway. |
| Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | Peterborough Station Enhancements & Connectivity | 47·9 | New entrance and footbridge for Peterborough station as part of the Station Quarter redevelopment. |
| Some other projects also include station access and integrated transport elements. | |||
‘We are firing the starting gun on more than 100 transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential’, said Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove when the funding was announced on January 19.
‘This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride.’
Commenting on the funding, Railway Industry Association Wales & Western Lead Robert Cook said ‘this is very positive news. Investing in rail not only boosts connectivity, it also puts rocket boosters under economic growth, creates jobs and generates tax revenue. For every £1 spent on rail, £2·50 of income is generated in the wider economy.’
Arcadis UK Cities Director Peter Hogg said ‘the deadline for spending the money of March 2025 is a challenging one — particularly as inflation has soared in the interim’.
He said ’authorities will need to rapidly move projects through the design phases, complete any land acquisition, secure planning approvals, appoint contractors and move into delivery — no mean feat, especially with no shortage of competing priorities for local government time and resources.’
