Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
We are currently procuring a new contract for Wales and Borders rail services and delivery of the South Wales Metro, which will transform the way we provide and plan for integrated public transport across Wales. As part of this work I made a commitment to headquarter Transport for Wales in the valleys. With the recent advent of the Valleys Task Force and better jobs close to home initiative, this is part of a clear Welsh Government commitment to the basing of high value, highly skilled jobs in the valleys.
Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council recently announced that it is taking forward a regeneration project in Pontypridd that will include the creation of a state of the art multi-purpose facility at the Taff Vale site in Pontypridd. Once that procurement is complete we will be basing the headquarters of both Transport for Wales and our new Operator and Delivery Partner in the new facility in Pontypridd. This will bring hundreds of well paid and highly skilled jobs into the area.
Transport for Wales is our not for profit company which will be the face of Metro and the wider Wales and Borders rail service. The Operations and Delivery Partner will be responsible for the safe and reliable operation of our passenger rail services, and will support Transport for Wales in the development of the Metro.
One of the key aims of the South Wales Metro is to provide a new transport system that will see the transformation of the Valley Lines to a faster and more frequent service. The improved connectivity at Pontypridd will make the town accessible to a wide catchment area of potential employees for Transport for Wales, the Metro Operator and Delivery Partner and partner organisations, providing opportunities for high skilled and high paid employment in the area.
By basing Transport for Wales and its partners in the heart of the valleys, we are underlining our ambition for Metro to be a catalyst for regeneration of the wider region.