The Welsh government has unveiled Network North Wales, a passenger-focussed programme of work to better connect communities, with more rail and bus services and greater integration.
Unveiled by the cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates, Network North Wales will see metro style train services on the North Wales mainline, the Marches line (Chester to Wrexham) and a new, direct rail link between Wrexham and Liverpool.
Reportedly, it aims to maximise opportunity and unlock the economic potential of North Wales and the cross-border region.
The plans include:
- Commencing work on the line between Wrexham and Liverpool
- Doubling train services between Wrexham and Chester next May
- Bringing forward the introduction of 50% more services across the North Wales mainline from December 2026 to next May – resulting in a new service from Llandudno to Liverpool and extending the Manchester Airport service to Holyhead in place of Llandudno
- Upon completion of rail line works at Padeswood, increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to 2 trains per hour within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of 4 trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035
- The existing Borderlands Line will also be renamed the Wrexham – Liverpool line
- Key stations on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be improved in the next 12 months
- Trains operating on the Wrexham – Liverpool line will be wrapped to reflect the communities and football clubs they serve
- Introducing Pay as You Go tap in tap out technology – covering connections between Gobowen and Rhyl, and along the full length of the Wrexham – Liverpool line
- Working with Network Rail to determine the feasibility of a rapid delivery of a new test railway station at Deeside Industrial Park, to gauge demand for permanent services to the park
- A new, multi-million pound electrification innovation fund to develop a plan to decarbonise the railway in North Wales and enable more frequent metro services and additional stations
- Match funding for step-free access at Shotton and Ruabon stations
- Working with local authorities to develop plans for Gateway multi-modal interchanges at Holyhead, Bangor, Caernarfon and Wrexham
- A new T13 bus service – connecting Rhyl, Ruthin, Denbigh and Wrexham
- Examining options to re-open stations and build new stations to serve employment growth areas
- A new bus network specifically designed to link communities with industrial estates in the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone
To support these plans, the welsh government has already committed an investment of over £13m to begin delivery immediately and will draw on other funding streams to make the vision a reality.
The cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “We now have the best possible partnership in place to deliver Network North Wales.
“We have already delivered significantly for South Wales with the South Wales Metro.
“Building on the £800m investment in new trains, the majority of which are already serving the North Wales region, now is the right time for North Wales to get the same level of ambition.
“This is a long term vision, which begins now with real changes. Including the roll out of Pay as You Go, – the tap on tap off deployment most of us only experience in London. Improved stations, increased services and an additional integrated bus service are all part of immediate changes over the next 12 months.”
Achievements in public transport planning will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
