Consultation opens on Cockett station and more Swansea–Burry Port trains

Consultation opens on Cockett station and more Swansea–Burry Port trains Transport for Wales has opened a public consultation on Swansea Bay Metro proposals that would add up to two trains an hour between Swansea and Pembrey & Burry Port. The plans, published by Transport for Wales (TfW) on November 3, also include a possible new station at Cockett and a second, less developed phase with up to two new services an hour between Swansea and Ammanford via Neath. Comments can be submitted until December 13, 2026. Phase A: Cockett station and a new Swansea platform Cockett had a station until it closed in the 1960s. A new stop there would give people in Cockett, Waunarlwydd and Fforest-fach a rail link toward Swansea, Llanelli, Carmarthen and beyond. To run the extra trains, the proposal would reopen a former platform on the north-west side of Swansea station, opposite platform 1, which TfW says would allow a more reliable service. At Pembrey & Burry Port, platform 2 would be extended to the east so that some trains can terminate there and head back toward Swansea. Phase A is the more advanced of the two parts, having been through more detailed planning and design work. Phase B: passenger trains from Swansea to Ammanford via Neath The second phase would put up to two trains an hour on a route between Swansea and Ammanford that is not served by passenger trains today. Possible new stations are listed at Landore, Winsh-wen, Morriston, Llandarcy, Felindre, Pont-lliw and Ammanford, which would become a new terminus for Metro services from Swansea. Morriston, one of Swansea’s largest residential areas, currently has no direct train service. Passengers could change at Neath for trains toward Cardiff. The works would include new track linking two railway lines, track and signaling upgrades, and turnbacks at Pontarddulais and Ammanford. Phase B is at an earlier stage, and TfW says more work is needed before final decisions can be made. How the 2021 study ranked the two routes The proposals build on a 2021 WelTAG stage 2 study prepared for the Welsh Government. Its preliminary estimates put a twice-hourly Swansea–Pontarddulais service via Neath and the Swansea District Line at £131 million in capital costs, with 1.73 million additional trips a year forecast and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.9. The study recommended progressing that route first while considering an extension to Ammanford. The Swansea–Pembrey & Burry Port service with a Cockett station was put at £34 million, with about 630,000 additional trips a year and a ratio of 1.7, and was to be reviewed alongside West Wales service options. Funding and next steps for both phases Neither phase is currently fully funded for delivery, which depends on money from the UK Government. The Welsh Government is paying for development work, and TfW says it does not yet have final costs, as these depend on design and scope decisions still to be made. The plans are being developed with the Welsh Government, the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee, regional local authorities and Network Rail. Amanda Phillips, Strategic Development Programme Manager at TfW, said: “These are long-term proposals and there is still a lot of work to do, which is exactly why it’s important that we hear from people now.” Drop-in events start at Swansea station on November 10 and end at the Swansea Quadrant Shopping Centre on November 26, with stops in Burry Port, Llanelli, Ammanford, Neath and Cockett in between. TfW’s consultation page says current services are not expected to be reduced, timetables are still being worked out and most of the proposed new stations are expected to be unstaffed. A summary of the feedback will be published after the consultation closes, with further rounds of consultation as designs develop.