Transport / Engineering

Metro Plus: Barry Docks Interchange

Status: Delivery

Creation of a bus interchange and park and ride facility at Barry Docks station to act as a gateway to the town centre and waterfront.

What is the project about?

Metro Plus is a £50 million programme of schemes, developed with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to support the implementation of the South Wales Metro.

The Metro Plus RTA Programme will see each of the 10 Local Authorities within South East Wales receive a £3million share to implement a scheme. Funding is being provided from Welsh Government (£15million) and from the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal (CCRCD) (£15million) to implement this programme. A further £20 million is being funded by local authority and private investment.

The Barry Town Centre Gateway Regeneration project has identified the need to comprehensively regenerate land in the vicinity of Barry Docks Railway Station, which is an important gateway to the town centre and Waterfront. The proposal for a master planned bus interchange and additional Park and Ride at this location offers an opportunity to bring forward a multi-million pound investment that could help transform the area and create a positive first impression of the town.

The Barry Transport Hub has the potential to attract new economic investment to the Station Quarter, town centre and surrounding area with the development of mixed-use neighbourhoods and multi-functional buildings within a few hundred metres of the station. There is the potential to incorporate quality, town centre accommodation, which is attractive to young professionals, and the development of retail units suitable for entrepreneurs, small businesses and start-ups. It is hoped that the scheme will result in transformational change for Barry by improving the connectivity with the town centre and other areas. This has the potential to attract more people to the town to work, live, visit and invest therefore improving the footfall and the ability of the town to attract investment creating jobs and homes. The potential also exists to create a modern well-designed arrival point that welcomes visitors, business people and residents, providing a high-quality experience.

Barry Transport Hub also has some potential to address local challenges, by unlocking employment opportunities through the provision of better transport and by increasing population health if the scheme can support sustainable and active travel.

A report by the Urban Transport Group suggests that transport has an important role to play in addressing the following challenges, particularly in post-industrial towns, such as Barry:

Low wages and in-work poverty
Unemployment and lack of resilience in local economies Low educational attainment and skill levels
Low productivity
Difficulties in attracting new enterprises and perception of being left behind
Hollowing out of high streets
Under investment in infrastructure and housing stock
Ageing populations

The bus interchange would include 4- 5 bus bays, have provision for taxis and extend the existing Park and Ride site which is at / overcapacity. The current rail programme includes additional rail capacity on the line and pre-COVID, all Park and Ride sites were at or over capacity within Barry. There is a regeneration intention to include a mixed use provision between the two locations identified along the rail corridor and a TRI bid has been submitted for this provision. A North – South Barry bus provision to link with the railway could reduce the congestion both on the Port Road / Culverhouse Cross corridor and the Dinas Powys corridor. Electric charging points will be included as part of the project implemented.

Investment and Leverage

£1.5m

CCR Investment

£3.5m

Match Funding

£tbc

Projected Leverage

Key deliverables

To include a new bus interchange, complete with four to five bus bays; shared passenger facilities including ticket office; taxi drop off; EV infrastructure; renewables; p& r; cycle facilities (potential for Next Bike); branded TfW.