Spotlighting the transformation of the Core Valley Lines into the CVL Metro

At this year’s RICS Wales Conference, Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Transport for Wales (TfW), and Wayne Bridgen, Business Director at Amey, will join together to tell the story of the transformation of the Core Valley Lines into the CVL Metro.

The UK-first project has seen ownership of the railway transfer from Network Rail to TfW, and developments will see integrated improvements across tracks, stations and trains. Passengers will benefit from increased regularity, accessibility and flexibility, where the overarching goal is to reduce car dependency, create jobs, and regenerate communities.

With just a month to go until he and Wayne bring the project to life for RICS members in Cardiff, Dan shines a light on the importance of the project, and the lessons learnt through its delivery.

Wales at the cutting edge of innovation

Explaining the significance of the transformation, Dan says: “This is more than a project to enhance the rail infrastructure and services, its main purpose is to improve the quality of life of local residents by driving economic development through better connectivity. On top of the investment in local people and suppliers during construction and operation, it will give easier access to jobs, retail and leisure as well as encouraging investment in the region.”

Techniques and technologies used by TfW and Amey throughout the development revolutionise traditional approaches, with valuable lessons for the surveying profession and wider built environment sector. “Our session at the RICS Wales Conference will take the audience through the journey of the Transformation Programme, from the initial idea to the finished operation, looking at how we brought multiple disciplines and organisations together with one goal. We’ll explore some of the problems we had along the way, transforming aging infrastructure into a modern, electric service.”

Critical collaboration

Innovation and collaboration are fundamental to the success of the project, and Dan believes that the skills and legacy within Wales will play a large part in its success: “Wales has a history of innovation, which has been heavily tapped into by the Transformation Programme. A number of the things we have delivered have never been done before, so we have had to solve problems by using the experience and knowledge within our collaborative teams.

“Collaboration is fundamental to the success of major and / or complex projects – no single organisation can deliver these types of programmes on their own. Each party involved needs to work towards a single goal, occasionally at a cost to themselves, in order to deliver the outcomes needed. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Wayne and his team at Amey – and all involved – to bring the vision to life.”

Lasting impact for Cardiff and the Valleys

Reflecting on the significance of the project, and his excitement at discussing it with RICS members, Dan says: “It genuinely feels that the project will change people’s lives – we are already seeing a significant increase in the numbers of passengers using our services, with positive feedback about the impact it has had. I am extremely proud of the entire project team, across all organisations, who have worked tirelessly to deliver it.”

Join us at the RICS Wales Conference to find out more