Cardiff is in for a new railway station (Image: Getty)
A major new £120million in one of the capital cities has been given the green light.
Cardiff Parkway Station will be located in the east of the city.
The country’s First Minister, Baroness Eluned Morgan, has now approved the plans. after years of uncertainty.
Developers behind the station had been waiting for a decision as the proposal started to be reviewed by the Welsh government in October 2022.
The stop aims to secure eight services an hour to and Newport, as well as mainline services to other parts of the country, including London and Bristol.
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Cardiff Parkway (or St Mellons Train Station, which is not what it’s being called) has been granted planning permission. In 2024, when it’s due to open, it will become East Cardiff’s only railway station.
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It would be the first new mainline station on the Cardiff -Newport line since Marshfield Station closed in 1959.
The stop is set to serve a new business park, and would integrate with the proposed South Wales Metro – an integrated heavy rail, light rail and bus-based network currently being developed.
Officials want to alter two relief rail lines to the south in order to allow space for an island platform in the middle of the four tracks, as well as platforms on each side.
The station was first proposed in 2012. In early 2019, it was announced that it would open in 2022.
In summer 2020, however, a report suggested that construction would start in 2021, and the station would open in 2024.
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First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan has approved the new station (Image: Getty)
In December 2021, a new timetable states that planning permission would be sought in February 2022.
Although, by January no work had started, and a decision from the Welsh government had not been published by July 2024.
Cardiff’s Labour council leader, Huw Thomas, called the delays “inexplicable” and “indefensible” earlier this month, reports.
A challenge period has now begun, which proivides the opportunity for a legal challenge to be triggered.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: “The reasons for the decision are set out in full in the decision letter. We cannot comment further while the statutory challenge period is in place.”