8/7/2004

Work on the new station alongside Cardiff International Airport was officially underway today at Rhoose Station.

The ceremony to mark the commencement of works was performed by Andrew Davies AM Minister for Economic Development and Transport, Network Rail’s Chief Executive John Armitt and Strategic Rail Authority’s Chief Executive and Chairman Richard Bowker and attended by 40 key stakeholders.

The reopening on the Vale of Glamorgan line, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, will cost in the region of £17 million and enables rail services to commence in Spring 2005. Initial rail services will link the airport directly with both Bridgend and Cardiff Central Stations as part of the “All Wales Franchise” operated by Arriva Trains.

Mr Horne explained, "The opening of the rail link to Cardiff International Airport provides a vital element in the process of properly integrating different modes of transport. Many of our passengers and staff will have a choice in how they get to and from the airport, but as well as improving the choice, it also means the airport will begin to appeal to a whole new audience, many of whom will be beyond Wales and our traditional catchment area. This fact alone will increase the attractiveness of the airport to airlines with improved prospects for new routes developing to the benefit of Cardiff and Wales as a whole."

The project includes building new stations at Rhoose and Llantwit Major, together with a new platform at Bridgend. The track will be upgraded to allow trains to travel at higher speeds than the existing track allows and additional signalling will be provided to increase capacity of the route.

Cardiff international Airport is promoting the concept of extending other Cardiff terminating trains to the airport including the hourly Paddington service. Commenting on this Jon Horne said: “It is not a great leap of ones imagination to see the extension of London and other services to the airport with the consequential expansion of the airports catchment area. Being able to say to people in places as far away as Swindon – just simply get on that train and it takes you to Cardiff Airport makes a compellingly simple script for people who have not used the airport previously”.

Following the Government’s White Paper on Aviation confirming Cardiff International Airport as Wales’s principal airport and recognising the progress made towards the new rail and road links to the airport, the importance of an improved transport infrastructure cannot be over-emphasised.

The Welsh Assembly Government has also published a stage plan to deliver a much-improved road link from the M4. Industry statistics show that too large a number of passengers still travel to London’s airports, who could be attracted to use Cardiff International if road and rail access were improved.

Cardiff International Airport, the UK’s second fastest-growing airport in 2003, handled more than 1.9 million passengers in the year. Exceptional growth in passengers from Air Wales and bmibaby contributed to the airport’s excellent performance.

bmibaby carried its one millionth passenger in June this year after a little over 18 months operations from Cardiff and the airport’s existing trans-Atlantic charter services to Orlando and Toronto have been added to this year by Swansea based Travel City’s Boeing 747 flights to Orlando.

The growing number of passengers and services has been complimented by new and upgraded facilities at the airport, which include all new catering facilities and bars, an executive lounge and a redevelopment of the arrivals concourse.

Source:	Cardiff International Airport
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