Broughton railway station (Wales)

Last updated

Broughton

Brychdyn
National Rail logo.svg
Regional (proposed)
Near Hawarden Airport - geograph.org.uk - 46751.jpg
The North Wales Coast line passing Hawarden Airport, near one of the proposed sites for Broughton.
General information
Other namesBroughton Parkway
Location Flintshire
Wales
Coordinates 53°11′24″N2°58′42″W / 53.19011°N 2.9784°W / 53.19011; -2.9784 Coordinates: 53°11′24″N2°58′42″W / 53.19011°N 2.9784°W / 53.19011; -2.9784
Line(s) North Wales Coast Line
Key dates
November 2013First proposed
Location
Broughton railway station (Wales)
Location of the most recent proposal

Broughton railway station (Welsh : Brychdyn; also proposed as Broughton Parkway; Welsh : Parcffordd Brychdyn) is a proposed railway station on the North Wales Coast line, situated north of Broughton, Flintshire, Wales. Recent proposals for the station use a site north of Airbus UK's West factory site and Hawarden Airport, where the B5129 crosses the North Wales Coast line. Older proposals for the station include using the old sites of the former Sandycroft and Saltney Ferry railway stations.

Contents

Broughton forms part of Transport for Wales' 2029 goals for the North Wales Metro.

History

Map of the North Wales Main Line, with a "Broughton" station marked between Shotton and Chester North Wales Main line Map.png
Map of the North Wales Main Line, with a "Broughton" station marked between Shotton and Chester

In November 2013, during a Westminster parliamentary debate, Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside said there was a case to be made of having railway stations at the Airbus factory in Broughton, and at Deeside industrial park. [1]

Later in 2015, a station, provisionally named "Broughton", was included in the Welsh Government's National Transport Finance Plan 2015, published in July 2015. [2] In which five stations were shortlisted in North Wales for consideration by the government. However, when another assessment of new stations occurred in May 2017, the station was the only one of the five in North Wales, to be dropped off the list. [3]

As rail infrastructure is not devolved in Wales, funding for the construction of a new railway station lies with the UK Government's Department for Transport (DfT) and is delivered by Network Rail. DfT would receive advice from Network Rail on the feasibility of the station.

In 2017, Flintshire County Council's Local Development Plan for Deeside, termed "The Deeside Plan" was developed. The plan included the aspiration for a new station known as "Broughton Parkway" to be set up between Shotton Low Level and Chester railway stations, with the station serving the industries and residences of Broughton. [4]

In 2021, the proposed station re-emerged in Transport for Wales' Metro Development Plan published in March 2021, [5] and the Future Developments plan for the North Wales Metro published in September 2021. The accompanying maps for the latter, used to represent Transport for Wales' ambitions in the region up to 2029, include a proposed station located between Shotton and Chester railway stations, termed "Broughton". The map describes the proposals visually represented to be "Emerging priorities to 2029" for the North Wales Metro. [6] [7]

Proposed location

There is no definitive location for the station selected by Transport for Wales as of January 2022.

As part of the local council's plan for the Mold to Broughton/Deeside Enterprise Zone Cycleway in 2018, Flintshire County Council listed three potential sites for a Broughton railway station. The three proposed sites were: [8]

Visual maps, later published in September 2021, by Transport for Wales, show a proposed station fitting the central location of the proposed site north of Airbus' factory, although no confirmation of station site has been made. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flintshire</span> County in Wales

Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east, Denbighshire to the west and Wrexham County Borough to the south. It is named after the historic county of the same name which has notably different borders. Flintshire is considered part of the Welsh Marches and formed part of the historic Earldom of Chester and Flint. The county is governed by Flintshire County Council which has its main offices in County Hall, Mold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Dee, Wales</span> River in Wales and England

The River Dee is a river in the United Kingdom. It flows through parts of both Wales and England, forming part of the border between the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensferry, Flintshire</span> Town in Deeside, Flintshire, Wales

Queensferry is a town and community in Flintshire, Wales, lying on the River Dee near the border. The community includes the village of Sandycroft. It is between Connah's Quay, Shotton and Saltney Ferry. Queensferry is also part of the wider Deeside conurbation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shotton, Flintshire</span> Human settlement in Wales

Shotton is a town and community in Flintshire, Wales, within the Deeside conurbation along the River Dee, joined with Connah's Quay, near the border with England. It is located 5 miles (8 km) west of Chester and can be reached by road from the A548. In the 2011 census Shotton had a population of 6,663.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wales</span> Geographic region in Wales

North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wales Coast Line</span> Railway line in north Wales

The North Wales Coast Line, also known as the North Wales Main Line, is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alyn and Deeside (UK Parliament constituency)</span>

Alyn and Deeside is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created in 1983, and it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post method of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury–Chester line</span> Railway line in England and Wales

The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England, with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the northern terminal of Chester and Shrewsbury in the south as part of the Wales & Borders franchise. Some additional services, starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson, a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock, while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deeside</span> Cross-border conurbation in England and in Wales

Deeside is the name given to a predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages in Flintshire and Cheshire on the Wales–England border lying near the canalised stretch of the River Dee that flows from neighbouring Chester into the Dee Estuary. These include Connah's Quay, Shotton, Queensferry, Aston, Garden City, Sealand, Broughton, Bretton, Hawarden, Ewloe, Mancot, Pentre, Saltney and Sandycroft. The population is around 50,000, with a plurality (17,500) living in Connah's Quay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borderlands line</span> Railway line between Bidston, England and Wrexham, Wales

The Borderlands line, also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line, is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales & Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston, the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Wales</span> Overview of the transportation system in Wales

Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broughton, Flintshire</span> Large village in Flintshire, Wales

Broughton is a large village in Flintshire, Wales, close to the Wales–England border, located to the west of the city of Chester, England, in the community of Broughton and Bretton. Along with the nearby village of Bretton, the total population was 5,791 at the 2001 Census, increasing to 5,974 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broughton Shopping Park</span> Retail park in Flintshire, Wales

Broughton Shopping Park, also known as Broughton Centre, is a retail park in Broughton, Flintshire, Wales. It is the busiest retail park in North Wales, recording an average annual footfall of 10 million. Branches of many popular high street stores have an outlet in the park. Retail outlets include Asda Living, Primark and SportsDirect. The retail park hosts facilities which include: free car parking for over 2,000 cars, ATMs, toilets, and baby changing areas. It is located opposite the Airbus factory on Chester Road (A5104), 4 miles west of Chester city centre, and 400 metres from the England-Wales border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holywell Junction railway station</span> Former railway station in Flintshire, Wales

Holywell Junction railway station was a junction station located on the north-eastern edge of Holywell and Greenfield, in Flintshire, Wales, on the estuary of the River Dee.

The North Wales Metro is a rail and bus transport improvement programme in north Wales. Styled as a "Metro", it is conceptually a multi-modal system with a combination of bus, heavy rail, and light rail services. It was initially focused on linking major settlements and employment areas of the north-east of Wales with the North West of England, with its hubs located in Wrexham, Chester and Deeside, although the programme has since expanded, with proposals extending to Anglesey in the north-west of Wales. The existing Borderlands line forms a core rail component of the network, where projects to increase connections, integrated access, and service frequency between Wrexham, Deeside and Liverpool are centred upon. The proposals were put forward in 2016 as is part of Welsh Labour's plan for north Wales. Labour has pledged to open the system by 2035. The proposals were included in the 2018 Wales & Borders franchise contest. It is the second of the three regional metros proposed by the Welsh Government to go ahead, after the South Wales Metro, and before the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro. The project is described to be in its initial phases.

Deeside Parkway is a proposed railway station situated between Neston and Hawarden Bridge on the Borderlands Line. The station is intended to serve the Deeside area of Flintshire, North Wales, particularly the Deeside Industrial Park.

Wrexham North is a proposed railway station on the Shrewsbury–Chester line, situated between Rossett and Wrexham, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. As of January 2022, there is no definitive site for the proposed station, with proposals including: the former Rossett railway station or a station near Pandy, Wrexham and Gresford. Unless construction of the station south of Rossett coincides with the full or partial dualling of the currently single track railway line towards Stansty, Wrexham North may be a single platform station or if situated at Rossett Junction be linked by a single track southwards to Wrexham.

Wrexham South is a proposed railway station on the Shrewsbury–Chester line, situated between Chirk and Wrexham, in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. As of January 2022, there is no definitive site for the proposed station, with proposals for the station to be located either near Johnstown or at Rhosymedre on the former Rhosymedre Halt railway station. If the latter location is decided, Ruabon would be the station closest to the south of Wrexham.

References

  1. Williamson-NW, David (26 November 2013). "MP Mark Tami calls for rail stations at Airbus and Deeside industrial park". North Wales Live. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  2. "National Transport Finance Plan 2015" (PDF). gov.wales. Welsh Government. 1 July 2015. p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 January 2022.
  3. "New Rail Stations Prioritisation - Stage 2 Assessment Report, April 2019" (PDF). gov.wales . Welsh Government. April 2019. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  4. "THE DEESIDE PLAN" (PDF). flintshire.gov.uk. Flintshire County Council. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  5. "How we're developing Metro - March 2021 (TfW Metro Development Plan 2021)" (PDF). trc.cymru. Transport for Wales. March 2021. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  6. 1 2 "North Wales Metro: Future developments | Transport for Wales". tfw.wales. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. "WATCH: Welsh Government minister tells of benefits North Wales Metro will bring to area". North Wales Chronicle. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  8. Longland, Carl (18 January 2018). "Mold Broughton DEZ cycleway" (PDF). committeemeetings.flintshire.gov.uk. Flintshire County Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
Preceding stationFuture servicesFollowing station
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