Sustainable development annual update 2021/22

Leyton Powell

Director for Safety and Sustainability

At Transport for Wales (TfW), sustainable development is at the heart of everything we do. Our first Sustainable Development Plan was published in 2019. It laid out our objectives and how we planned to deliver the ambitions of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. 

Since then, we’ve worked hard to identify opportunities and engage with innovative solutions to help deliver an accessible, sustainable and efficient multimodal transport network of which Wales will be proud. 

This is our third update report. It details our progress and achievements for the 2021/22 financial year. 

Over the past year, Transport for Wales has continued to grow as we welcomed our rail colleagues into the organisation. 

Our Sustainable Development Advisory Panel continues to support our work by sharing their expertise and ensuring that all we deliver is in line with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. 

Together with the Craidd Alliance, our Infrastructure Delivery Partners, we’re working towards future-proofing our network.

Going forward, we will continue to build on our good work, learn from our experiences and celebrate our achievements.

 

Natalie Rees

Head of Sustainability and Climate Change

TfW is committed to the delivery of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Over the last year, our Sustainable Development Team has grown in number, allowing us to dedicate more resources and expertise to our decarbonisation and adaptation strategies and explore new opportunities for our projects which enhance biodiversity, social value and innovation.

Our keen network of Sustainable Development Champions from across the organisation exemplify how we embed sustainable development in everything we do. Sustainable development is everyone’s responsibility at TfW. We’re proud of all the successes of our colleagues and delivery partners contained in this update.

We‘ve had some key highlights. We received an award package from Keep Wales Tidy to continue our work at stations to enhance biodiversity and build on the success of our Green Routes project. 

Our new project, Coed Cymunedol, was awarded £100,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government to support communities in tree planting and woodland management. 

TfW was again one of the sponsors of the Future Generations Commissioner’s Future Generations Leadership Academy. The Academy helps people in the private, third and public sectors develop an understanding of the act and build collaborative relationships. 

Our Well-being of Future Generations Coordinator Louis Mertens has had a positive experience and has recently graduated the Academy.

We’ll be releasing our new Sustainable Development Plan later this year. This updated plan will help us realign our goals to effectively meet our wider organisational objectives, support our stakeholders in realising their objectives and ensure our operations consider of future generations.

 

In the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 the definition of Sustainable Development is -

“The process of improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales by taking action, in accordance with the sustainable development principle, aimed at achieving the well-being goals.”

We’re committed to delivering an accessible, sustainable, and efficient multi-modal transport network with sustainability embedded throughout our organisation. 

Our Sustainable Development Plan sets out how we: 

• Ensure sustainable development is part of our culture and embedded in everything we do
• Determine our commitment and approach to sustainable development up to 2033
• Set clear goals, actions and responsibilities 
• Meet the requirements of relevant legislation and policies 
• Undertake key activities to build a sustainable transport network

This Sustainable Development Update details our progress towards delivering our commitments to the seven Wellbeing Goals and five Ways of Working outlined in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. It describes the work delivered between April 2021 and March 2022 by the teams at TfW and our partners.

The case studies provide further information and highlight best practice across the organisation.

Further information about TfW’s work over the last year is available in our ‘Annual Report and Financial Statements’.

 

Our commitment

We’ll stimulate economic activity and promote a prosperous, innovative and low carbon economy which will provide high quality employment for our team members and our supply chain. 

We’ll conserve natural resources and improve the quality of the environment in which we operate by promoting sustainable consumption, reducing waste and driving continual improvement.

 

Employment

We’ve launched several schemes to support our commitment to providing high quality employment for our team members and achieve social value. 

These have included our ‘Leading with’ Programme, our Apprenticeship Academy, our Graduate Scheme and our Ex-Offenders Pathway.

Enabling people into employment no matter what their background and circumstances is also linked to the ‘More Equal Wales’ goal.

 

Building Futures: Ex-Offenders Pathway

In September 2021, we launched a new scheme to provide up to ten people to work on the South Wales Metro, based in the Treforest Infrastructure Hub.

The Scheme, which is a partnership between HMP Prescoed, Coleg y Cymoedd, Amey Infrastructure Wales and TfW’s infrastructure delivery partners, provides relevant vocational experience.

The Ex-Offenders Pathway scheme is an example of how we can deliver social value through our projects beyond their delivery.

 

Graduate scheme

In September 2021, we welcomed six graduates to join our very first graduate scheme. During the two-year scheme, they’ll follow a robust programme which includes working across four different disciplines within their specialties. 

They’ll also receive educational learning, develop new skills, and work towards achieving professional accreditations in their specialties.

They’ll all be involved in some of our major projects over the next two years, sharing their own knowledge, skills, and experience, helping us to deliver multimillion pound projects that’ll shape public transport in Wales.

We have now recruited our second cohort of graduates, ready to start in September, with a recruitment campaign for the third cohort to go live in July.

 

Apprenticeship academy

Our first cohort of apprentices has successfully completed ffynu, our Apprenticeship Academy. 

We supported four apprentices through the programme as they gained skills in finance, HR, data and social media. 

Our second cohort of apprentices will start the programme in September 2022.

Our apprentice academy case study

 

‘Leading with’ programme

We introduced our ‘Leading with’ programme.

The programme will support the development of new leaders, creating our shared purpose of a positive leadership culture across the organisation. It has been designed to develop new ways of thinking and create toolkits for our leaders to use in their role.

Our ‘Leading with’ programme will enable our leaders to be the best, display the right attitude while being connected and fair, and creating shared success for all.

 

Sustainable construction

We’ve worked closely with Constructing Excellence Wales to ensure our projects are delivering against 25 key performance indicators that demonstrate how our projects meet the Well-being of Future Generations Act goals.

 

Constructing Excellence Wales

Our projects: Taffs Well Overbridge, Bow Street Station and Deeside Parkway Station all received Exemplar status from Constructing Excellence Wales.

The Exemplar process identifies what actions have taken place at key project stages that have led to successful outcomes.

This learning can then be adopted on other projects. Each project must take a holistic approach to sustainable development and achieve a balance between economic, social and environmental factors.

Success is evidenced through key performance indicators, reflecting the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Another scheme utilised to meet this commitment is the Considerate Constructor Scheme used by our partner AIW in the delivery of the Taffs Well Depot.

Deeside Parkway station case study

Bow Street station case study

 

Taff’s Well Considerate Constructor

Since 2019, Amey Infrastructure Wales (AIW) have been constructing the South Wales Metro Depot at Taff’s Well through the Considerate Constructor Scheme on our behalf.

That scheme has seen AIW take a proactive approach to its responsibilities to present and future generations, which includes how it manages waste, conducts inspections to keep the site tidy and returning value to the community.

Taffs Well overbridge case study

 

First ISO certified ‘Rail Alliance’

Our supply chain partners have been certified for their collaborative business relationship

 

Craidd

Working with our Infrastructure Delivery Partners (Amey Infrastructure Wales, Alun Griffiths, Balfour Beatty and Siemens Rail) we’ve formed a Rail Alliance called the Craidd Alliance, Craidd meaning ‘core’ in Welsh.

On 29 November, the Craidd Alliance received certification to ISO44001 – Collaborative Business Relationship Management Systems. We’re now part of the first Rail Alliance in the world to be formally certified. ISO is a governmentbacked certification by the British Assessment Bureau for internationally recognised quality standards.

The Alliance is working hard to transform the Core Valley Lines to build the South Wales Metro.

This will significantly improve connectivity throughout South Wales and provide access to jobs, leisure and other opportunities for the people of Wales.

The Metro project has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government and will connect rail, bus and active travel routes.

 

Economy

We’ve taken an innovative, circular economy approach to our office fit out at our HQ in Pontypridd.

This meets our objective of stimulating economic activity and promoting a prosperous, innovative and low carbon economy.

 

Social Value Award for furniture

In November 2021 we won the ‘Prosperous Future Generations Award’ which were presented at an online event. The 2021 National Social Value Conference: Wales Leading the Movement, on the 16 and 17 November 2021. 

Selected winners had their entry featured online, showcased in the conference brochure, and had the opportunity to present during the awards ceremony.

The Social Value for Future Generations award is “for an organisation that’s contributed to an innovative, productive and low carbon society that recognises the limits of the global environment and therefore uses resources efficiently and proportionately”.

We also stimulate economic activity and promote a prosperous, innovative and low carbon economy through our supply chain and our TfW Lab provides support to new tech start-ups.

Llys Cadwyn furniture case study

 

TfW Lab

Our fourth cohort of the ‘Innovation Accelerator Programme’ have begun their journey at our state-of-the art TfW Lab in Newport.

The programme has already seen us working with 25 tech start-up companies. Many of these have since been accelerated to work with us and provide innovative transport solutions we can use

 

Sustainable use of resources

We’re delivering our commitment of conserving natural resources and promoting sustainable consumption, reducing waste and driving continual improvement.

We’re electrifying our railway asset in South East Wales using a process known as Smart Electrification using a principle of “build less, build clever, build efficiently”. This will help reduce future carbon emissions, linked to the ‘Globally Responsible Wales’ goal.

 

Electrification of the South Wales Metro

In the past, electrification has been an expensive and difficult infrastructure improvement because the railways in the UK have many tunnels and low bridges that don’t have enough space to accommodate Overhead line Electrification (OLE).

Improvements in technology now mean that we can equip the trains with batteries that allow them to continue to run for periods of time away from OLE.

This approach has meant that we have been able to avoid more than 60 complex track or civil interventions saving time, money and reducing the impact of the South Wales Metro delivery on our neighbours and the environment.

To help us to deliver our commitment of promoting sustainable consumption, reducing waste and driving continual improvement we have taken a ‘repair first’ approach to our network to avoid unnecessary consumption.

 

Service Quality Repairs

Our Service Quality Team checks the customer-facing aspects of our network and reports where these do not meet the standard. When a fault is identified, the team can make an assessment to repair or replace the asset in question.

More than 1000 repairs were carried out by the team in 2021.

 

Our commitment

We’ll strengthen resilience and adapt to the changing climate and extreme weather events, and manage environmental risk by planning, monitoring, reviewing and where appropriate, changing actions.

We’ll reduce the degradation of natural habitats, natural resources and protect and enhance biodiversity.

 

To meet our commitment of strengthening resilience and adapting to the changing climate and extreme weather events we’re developing our Carbon Adaptation and Resilience Plan which will be published in 2022.

 

Carbon Adaptation and Resilience Plan

Our Plan illustrates what we will be doing to ensure climate resilience is embedded in all that we do to effectively safeguard Wales’ transport network.

The document includes an assessment of our current vulnerability to adverse weather and our future vulnerability, informed by the latest climate change science and evidence reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The plan seeks to address the key risks affecting the transport sector in Wales, as found in the third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and we’l also be conducting comprehensive Climate Change Risk Assessments across our networks, services and operations.

A series of first actions have been found to enhance our future resilience. Bespoke delivery plans will be developed following completion of Risk Assessments on the network.

 

To address the high use of plastic bottles, reduce waste and support people affected by extreme weather, we’ve been installing water refill points at stations across Wales.

 

Water refill

We’ve introduced water refill points at Cardiff Central, Machynlleth and Llandudno railway stations, with plans to install them at another 20 stations before the end of this financial year. In the first 5 months of operation, the water point saved over 4,000 bottles of water.

These points are advertised on the Refill app and refill.org.uk where you can log on to find your closest refill point. More stations will be added to the app as they become available later this year.

 

Climate resilience

To enable us to meet our commitment of strengthening our resilience to the changing climate, we’re introducing a weather monitoring system along our network.

 

Weather monitoring system

The CVL is exposed to a heightened risk of weather hazards, due to geographical factors such as topography and complex river networks, we’ve implemented our own system for weather forecasting. 

Following a comprehensive review of weather data and local geography, weather stations are currently being installed at the following locations

• Cardiff Bay
• Pontypridd
• Treherbert
• Aberdare
• Merthyr Tydfill
• Cymbargoed
• Rhymney

The weather stations will provide data on the following weather variables:

• Wind speed and direction
• Wind gusts
• Humidity
• Total rainfall
• Hourly rainfall
• Temperatures
• Barometric pressure
• UV Index
• Solar Radiation
• Evapotranspiration
• Temperature Humidity Sun Wind 
• Index (THSW)
• Soil moisture profile (Cymbargoed only)
• Leaf wetness (Cwmbargoed only)

The weather station at Cymbargoed has a long-range antenna which will be installed that watches an active landslip site for soil moisture and leaf wetness, further increasing our resilience at times of adverse weather.

We’ll use the same national alert levels for weather risk used by Network Rail. The Asset Management team will closely monitor forecasting at these sites, helping our teams respond to and prepare for any adverse weather events that affect the CVL.

We’ll explore the potential for air quality monitoring across the CVL.

 

Ecology and biodiversity

To meet our commitment of reducing the degradation of natural habitats and natural resources and protecting and enhancing biodiversity we launched our Biodiversity Action Plan in June last year.

 

Biodiversity Action Plan

Our Biodiversity Action Plan set out the principles to ensure we protect, enhance and champion wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems throughout all our work.

These principles allow us to show compliance with the Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty of Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and includes ambitious targets of a no net loss of biodiversity in our operations by 2024 and, where possible, a biodiversity net gain.

We have since integrated this goal into all new projects; with Biodiversity Net Gain assessments included as standard wherever applicable.

Other goals include communication and transparency about our work about biodiversity, mainstream best practices, collaboration and engagement with wildlife organisations and local communities and implementing wider biodiversity initiatives.

We’re working closely with our station adopter groups to best manage planted areas to best help wildlife at stations, including changing the timing of cuts and reducing the use of herbicide.

In addition to this, we have robustly integrated biodiversity and ecology into decision making as part of our general business approach, including at project start, alongside wider team training and awareness raising on the importance of ecology.

 

Green Routes

This year saw the initiation of our #NATUR Green Routes Project, following a successful award of £100,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund via the Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature Scheme. The project will introduce green features and biodiversity enhancements at 25 stations across Wales and in five community areas across situated close to stations.

The Welsh Government’s manifesto commits us to implementing “50 habitat creation schemes at rail stations and transport interchanges” by 2024. This project delivers 25 schemes towards this target and is the first phase of a programme to meet this commitment.

The station side of the project is well underway with the first-round of new habitats and green spaces created at Caerphilly, Cardiff Bay and Pontypridd railway stations.

A further 22 stations across Wales are due to be developed before winter 2022. Green features include pollinatorfriendly planting, wildlife boxes and sensory garden spaces - all helping to create and support green routes across our station environments. The project has contributed to the development of our Station Adoption Programme, created more volunteering opportunities, enhanced the passenger experience at stations and provided additional naturebased staff well-being activities and spaces.

Working with our five community partners (The Enbarr Foundation, Taff’s Well Village Hall, Cambrian Village Trust, Bron Fair Allotments and Tywn Community Hub) we have created and enhanced green spaces and areas at their sites.

The project has supported the growth and development of green volunteering in the community and created a temporary job in North Wales at The Enbarr Foundation.

Our most recent community project working with the Cambrian Village Trust based in the Clydach Vale, is an example of collaborative working with communities and our industry partners to implement biodiversity enhancements which also benefit people through the creation of access to green spaces. 

Following a successful grant from Keep Wales Tidy, we have also delivered additional green features at Carmarthen railway station.

Watch our green routes video

 

Our commitment

We’ll promote a socially equal, inclusive, healthy and safe transport network for all our team members.

 

Active Travel

Enabling people to travel more actively is one way in which we can contribute to the ‘Healthier Wales’ goal.

 

National Active Travel Monitoring Framework

We drafted a National Active Travel Monitoring Framework that will establish a robust evidence base to measure the impact of funding for active travel projects in Wales.

It will support the wider Monitoring Framework for the Wales Transport Strategy Llwybr Newydd.

 

Active Travel Officers Group

We launched the National Active Travel Officers Group and the National Active Travel Advisory Forum, enabling our stakeholders to contribute to our work and help shape our plans.

Our Active Travel Officers group is a key forum for sharing information about the Active Travel Fund with local authorities and gathering their feedback on the process.

 

Real Social Network

The Real Social Network campaign promotes walking, cycling, bus and rail use as a sustainable way to travel and aims to encourage people to reimagine public transport and make short and longer-term changes to the way they travel.

The Real Social Network TV ad premiered 1 April 2022 on ITV

Watch Real Social Network

 

Well-being on our network

To meet our commitment of promoting a socially equal, inclusive, healthy and safe transport network for all, we installed equipment that can help save lives across our network.

 

Defibrillators at stations

In January, we installed the first of 200 defibrillators across Wales and Borders network. This will give station access to anyone who might need this lifesaving equipment. The scheme will see defibrillators fitted at more than 80% of our stations over 18 months, which will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day.

Using a defibrillator within three minutes of a cardiac arrest can improve a person’s chance of survival by as much as 70%.

Defibrillators can a life-saving tool. We’re delighted to now be in a position to install these devices across the Wales and Borders network.

The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority and, as part of our work with the provider Aero Healthcare, our staff will be offered training on how to use the defibrillators.

We want to make the Wales and Borders network the safest in the UK and an important part of this is having the right facilities at our stations to help people in the case of an emergency.

We’re also working with various healthcare colleagues and charities, who are helping us plan how we can provide training on this life-saving equipment.

Karl Gilmore

Rail Infrastructure Director

 

Healthier eating

We’re also meeting our ‘Healthier Wales’ commitment by improving our catering offering. We’ve been attending the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales National Implementation Board since its inception.

 

Blas

We’re relaunching our catering service under the TfW owned brand Blas, the Welsh word for taste. We are creating a catering service that will help to transform perceptions of rail catering. The new service is expected to launch in December.

We’re taking a fresh look at the food and drink we sell, building on the reputation of our well-regarded catering team. Under the new brand, we’re working 
with local and Welsh suppliers to provide healthy, seasonal menus that use fresh, local ingredients. This new approach helps us deliver on the Welsh 
Government’s Healthy Weight Healthy Wales strategy. The brand will also include a new training programme for staff, a new product range and a new service style.

Our customers’ needs are changing, and our catering service needs to change if we’re to make it a commercial success. 

Customers are willing to spend more with us if we provide them with the right levels of service and high-quality products.

Other train operators have seen significant revenue increases with the introduction of at-seat ordering, for instance.

We’re going to build on our catering team’s reputation to make sure Blas is a food brand people love and recommend.

Piers Croft

Head of Transport Services

 

Our commitment

We’ll provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of disadvantaged people.

We’ll provide opportunities to work and train, identifying skills gaps and offering apprenticeships and training.

We’ll respect fundamental rights and cultural diversity and promote mental and physical wellbeing.

 

New ways to travel

To enable us to meet our commitment of identifying skills gaps and offering apprenticeships and training we’ve highlighted the role of STEM in the delivery of our projects to schools and colleges.

 

The Taff’s Well mock ups

The Taff’s Well depot is where we keep our new train mock ups. The train mock ups are to-scale wooden versions of our new trains.

We’ve hosted several visits to the site, including with school and college groups, to learn about the technologies that are being introduced and the role of STEM in the delivery of our projects.

Mock-ups case study

 

Children and Young People’s Charter

We’ve made a public commitment to plan and deliver services around children and young people, allowing them to use our services confidently and safely. The Children and Young People’s Charter sets out key commitments to children and young people, including the development of an advisory group to ensure we take account of young people’s views.

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, joined Transport for Wales and Ffynnon Taf Primary School for the launch of the Charter, taking part in a range of educational activities at the Taffs Well Mock Ups Site.

The charter is one aspect of a range of activities that TfW delivers with schools. In 2021, the Community and Stakeholder Engagement team worked with Network Rail and the British Transport Police to deliver a range of sports day style activities that carry rail safety messages.

Other school visits have seen children learning about the role of STEM in the delivery of rail services, and how studying the subjects opens up potential in the transport.

 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

To meet our commitment to respect fundamental rights and cultural diversity, we’ve updated how we approach Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at TfW to include more colleagues.

 

Employee Resources Group

We created Employee Resources Groups (ERG) to create a network of forums ,both professional and social, for colleagues who share a common identity or interest within the EDI space.

ERG members will meet monthly to discuss and address themes and issues relevant to their group and support national campaigns and internal events. This will support the ‘employer-led’ work that will be developed by the EDI Working Groups.

 

#mynameis campaign

The Multicultural Strand of our ED&I Forum worked closely with Race Equality Matters to launch the #mynameis campaign last year.

The campaign encourages everyone to use phonetic spelling in email signatures to advise colleagues on how their individual name should be pronounced. 

Although the pronunciation of many names can be obvious and considered easy to say, there are some names that some people may be unfamiliar with.

This enables us to have open and honest conversations that supports race equality, the Welsh language and neurodiversity, as we advocate for dignity, respect, diversity and inclusion as part of our ED and I framework.

Our Safety Officer, Inein Victor Garrick, was asked to be the face of the campaign for Race Equality Matters.

Watch #mynameis

 

Accessibility

We’ve a commitment to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety (notably by expanding public transport) and paying attention to the needs of disadvantaged people. 

To meet this commitment, we improved our website and we offer passenger assist and other means of support such as the Hearing Loop.

 

A more accessible website

We launched our brand-new website in September. It unites the old Group and Rail websites to supply a one-stop shop for users. As well as information on our upcoming projects and who we are, users can buy train tickets, plan journeys, and find travel information about rail, bus, and active travel. 

Bringing both sites together is important step in creating a better service for our customers, allowing them to easily access information for all their transport needs. Customer insight was a huge factor in the design and experience of the site. 

The user journey is a key part of the new site. We made information fully accessible and bilingual.

 

Passenger Assist

Passenger Assist allows passengers who need added support when they travel to book help for their train journey. We want everyone to travel with confidence. Customers can request help in advance.

Our Passenger Assist team is available by telephone 24 hours a day (except Christmas Day) or customers can use our online booking process 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except Christmas Day). 

Customers will still receive help if they have not booked in advance, or if they’ve made an online booking that hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Passenger assist case study

 

Robok Data Informed Rail Safety

For the first time, we’ll be using innovative technologies to help improve safety at railway crossings.

By using artificial intelligence (AI) and sensors, we can collect data on what type of user (pedestrian, cyclist or wheelchair user) is using a crossing, how they are using it and for how long. 

This new application of existing AI technology to railway safety will mean that, working with Network Rail, we can create railway environments that are safer and easier to use.

 

HEAR - Hearing Loop Alternative

Transport for Wales LAB and GoMedia have been trialling a new cost-effective solution to enable a hearing loop-like experience on trains.

A closed trial has seen technology used across three TfW trains to enable people with the Transport for Wales app to hear or see announcements through their phone, using the onboard wi-fi without any other hardware.

Users with the app receive announcements automatically in Welsh or English and can also play back previous announcements and choose whether all stops are announced or just their destination.

This technology will allow people with hearing impairments to use the rail services with greater confidence.

 

To meet our commitment of providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, we’ve been supporting Ukranian refugees as they arrive in Wales.

Free rail travel for Ukrainian refugees

We’re supporting the Welsh Government with ‘arrival hubs’ to provide immediate support to Ukrainian travellers. These hubs have been set up at entry points into Wales, including Cardiff and Wrexham railway stations.

Ukrainian travellers can get advice at the hubs about onward travel on the TfW network. 

The aim is to supply onward travel for refugees from these hubs to a Welsh Government welcome centre or to a family, friends or sponsors already known to those seeking refuge.

 

Our commitment

We’ll use our stations to connect people to information, local events and other events in Wales and engage with local communities to ensure their interests are at the heart of our decision-making.

We’ll offer a more integrated transport network with better connectivity between stations and communities.

 

Active Travel

To deliver our commitment of offering a more integrated transport network with better connectivity between stations and communities. We’ve been administering grants to Local Authorities for Active Travel, looked at sustainable options for travel between Newport and Cardiff and are developing station active travel plans.

We have started to integrate bus tickets on some services and rolled out the fflecsi scheme to more communities.

 

Active Travel Fund Programme

We developed new systems and processes to administer grant funding allocations for active travel projects totalling over £57 million. These grants are being delivered by local authorities through the Active Travel Fund Programme.

We also provided guidance and advice to all 22 local authorities on the design and development of the projects funded through the grant programme, contributing to the expansion of active travel networks across Wales.

 

Active Travel Station Network Plans

We’ve developed, in collaboration with local authorities, proposed active travel networks and preliminary designs for individual routes connecting to 15 of our railway stations.

These will create alternative travel options to the private car when delivered.

 

Burns Delivery Unit

We supported the continuing work on the recommendations of the Burns Delivery Unit with a focus on improving access to sustainable transport options between Newport and Cardiff along the A48 corridor and National Cycle Network Route 88.

 

fflecsi

We’re continuing to roll out our fflecsi service in areas across Wales. Like a conventional bus, fflecsi is available for everyone to use. The service offers a more tailored way for passengers to get about by picking them up and dropping them off in a defined area and not just along a fixed bus route.

We’ve worked with Denbighshire County Council to introduce our latest fflecsi bus service, serving the town of Ruthin and the surrounding area.

It joins fflecsi pilot schemes in Denbigh and Prestatyn in Denbighshire as well as nine other areas across Wales.

This is the first EV fflecsi service, served by a battery operated minibus with zerotailpipe emission.

It will contribute to the bus sector’s drive to innovate and deliver clean and sustainable bus services for local communities.

 

The 1Bws Ticket

The 1Bws ticket introduced across local authorities in North Wales is the first major step forward in simplifying the fares model for passengers in Wales. From the 17 July 2021, customers using any of the 27 bus operators in Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham were able to purchase a single day ticket for £5.70 which is accepted on all local services, as well as on buses into Chester, Whitchurch and Machynlleth. 

This new ticket has opened the door to more than 200 bus routes across North Wales, allowing customers to travel on as many services as they choose across the day.

 

Traws Cymru T1 to Rail Tickets

Carmarthen to Aberystwyth was chosen to pilot ticketing integration between rail and bus.

Instead of customers needing to access different websites and apps to purchase tickets for travel across the different transport modes, they’re now able to buy a single ticket that will cover both the TfW and TrawsCymru T1 parts of their journey. 

The ticket can be purchased from the TfW website, app and selected station ticket offices.

 

Community benefits

We want to be a good neighbour to the communities in which we operate.

We’re proactive in seeking funding for community projects and offer community benefits through our projects.

 

Taff’s Well considerate neighbour

Since 2019, Amey Infrastructure Wales (AIW) has been constructing the South Wales Metro Depot at Taff’s Well through the Considerate Constructor Scheme on our behalf.

AIW has produced public information boards, held five-a-side football matches and conducted auctions for local charities. 

Defibrillators they’ve installed on site are accessible to the public through the national Circuit network.

They’ve facilitated food and clothes donations on site, and recycled pallet waste into a wooden rocking horse for Action for Kids and built pallets into other facilities on site. 

They also provide a quiet room for staff, as well as regular ‘toolbox talks’ for mental health and well-being, delivered by the site supervisor.

 

Community Woodlands

TfW and 11 community partners across Wales have been awarded £100,000 from the Welsh Government and National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Community Woodlands Scheme.

The projects funded by this grant scheme will help to inform the Welsh Government’s thinking on the long-term development of the National Forest for Wales (NfW).

The nine-month project is a collaboration with organisations across Wales, including local councils, social enterprises and woodland and community charities.

With our partners we’ll create new woodland sites and improve and enhance existing woodlands in nine areas across Wales.

Schemes include a new urban woodland walkway connecting one of our railway stations to a nearby existing woodland and a new nature reserve created on a disused car park.

Along with creating spaces for leisure and nature, the woodlands will help to enhance biodiversity and improve the well-being of our communities.

Coed Cymunedol project

 

Passenger experience

To deliver our commitment of offering a more integrated transport network with better connectivity between stations and communities, we launched our customer consultation panel Sgwrs.

 

Sgwrs

Our Commercial and Customer Experience team worked closely with the digital feedback platform provider, Maru/Matchbox, to introduce a new one-stop dedicated virtual customer panel called Sgwrs.

This new customer consultation platform gives customers the opportunity to supply open and honest feedback of their experience of using our services and what the future of the transport network should be, using online surveys, chat forums and interactive sessions.

The panel of a thousand people is available for teams across TfW to use to conduct market research that can support our projects and help shape the transformation of transport in Wales and the Borders.

 

Our communities can find out more about what we’re doing via our Podcast - Just the Ticket.

Just the Ticket Podcast

We launched our podcast, Just the Ticket. The podcast can be listened to on Spotify or the TfW website with 13 episodes to choose from.

The podcast discusses a range of topics across public transport and sustainability in Wales and the borders. Listeners can hear about several projects we’ve undertaken, including updates on the South Wales Metro, our Green Routes project and the Magnificent Train Journey.

 

Our commitment

We’ll promote Wales’ language and culture by engaging with the Arts Council of Wales, Visit Wales, Cadw and other third-parties, to promote Welsh arts, culture, heritage as well as the Welsh language. 

We’ll also promote arts, culture and heritage in the other areas we serve.

 

Welsh Language

As a public body, we’re committed to ensuring that the Welsh Language is treated no less favourably than English. Our new Passenger App gives our customers and passengers the ability to travel using the Welsh Language.

 

New Passenger App

Our new Passenger App includes improved features and, for the first time, a bilingual service.

The improvements make it easier and quicker for customers to access up-todate information and buy tickets quickly and easily. 

Customers can buy and manage tickets from their smart phones and track their journey in real-time.

The new smart phone app marks a significant step forward in the service we provide to customers. More people than ever are using our app to buy tickets and access up-to-the-minute journey information.

This latest step now adds in a bilingual service for the first time and makes it easier to use its key features. 

This is just one step we’re making ahead of the eventual roll-out of an integrated public transport app, which will provide journey information and tickets for rail and bus services across Wales.

Dave Williams

IT and Digital Services Director

 

Cultural routes

To meet our commitment to promote arts, culture and heritage, we’ve been working with young people and artists in Abergavenny.

 

Peak Cymru Casgleb

Casgleb is a new collaborative project hosted by Peak Cymru in partnership with TfW and LUMIN.

Over 2022, to create new cultural resources at Abergavenny train station, we’re exploring sustainable Welsh futures with young people, artists and collectives and Transport for Wales staff.

The focus of our work is language and the potential bilingual spaces could hold outside of formal settings.

 

To promote Wale’s language, culture and heritage, a new tourism project, Wales on Rails, was launched in March at Cardiff Central Station by the Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething, and railway historian and TV presenter, Tim Dunn.

 

Wales on Rails

This project encourages more people to travel around Wales using public transport. We’ve worked with Visit Wales to jointly fund the new initiative.

It will give visitors the chance to experience some of the most scenic railways in the world.

There’s a dedicated website for visitors to plan their trip around Wales and choose from visitor attraction themes using public transport.

 

Our commitment

We’ll limit our global environmental impact and limit our impact on communities overseas through responsible procurement.

We’ll comply with international biodiversity regulations and lower our carbon footprint.

 

Carbon

We comply with Welsh Government’s Public Sector Reporting Requirements for carbon emissions. In our baseline year our emissions were 242,756.

This year our emissions have increased due to a return to the standard timetable post Coronavirus restrictions and  the introduction of more rolling stock.

Emitting activity 2021/22	tCO2e
Scope 1 (direct emissions)
Gas	584
Fuels	84,571
Scope 2 (indirect emissions from grid-supplied energy)
Electricity	2,736
Scope 3 (other indirect emissions)
Gas upstream losses	100
Fuel upstream losses	19,393
Waste and recycling	19
Water supply	12
Water treatment	21
Supply chain	196,879
Electricity upstream losses	1,018
Renewable energy generation	0
Business mileage	25
Business mileage (upstream losses)	7
Commuting	144
Commuting mileage (upstream losses)	40
Land use emissions
Net use emissions from TfW land assets	-702
Total 2021/22 emissions	304,846

 

Emissions Pathway

We’re developing our Emissions Pathway which will be published later this year.

It will include our emissions trajectory between 2022 and 2030 and will include a series of actions we’ll deliver to support the collective public sector target of net zero by 2030. Our progress will be checked annually against a series of targets.

Our Emissions Pathway baseline is set against our 2020/21 emissions.

Our emissions reporting is completed following Welsh Government’s Net Zero Public Sector Reporting Guide, as part of our requirements under the collective 2030 net zero target for the public sector in Wales.

To better understand the emissions from our supply chain, we’re launching an innovative project to develop a more holistic accounting method and find potential opportunities for emissions reduction.

 

To support the Welsh Governments target to reduce emissions from transport, we’ve been delivering the Welsh Governments Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy.

 

Electric vehicle charging

We installed our first electric vehicle (EV) rapid charge point in Bala in November 2021. In the first six months of its operation, the charge point was used more than 760 times, supplying more than 15,000 kWh to almost 600 unique drivers. Users drove more than 45,000 miles and saved 8.7 tonnes of carbon.

Our second site in Machynlleth went live in July. We currently have two more sites that have been built (Crickhowell and Newton) and are planned to be available for charging around September time. A further 15 charge point sites are expected to be available by the end of this financial year.

 

We’ve also been upskilling the team to better understand carbon through certified Carbon Literacy Training.

 

Carbon Literacy training

We delivered Carbon Literacy Training to 19 Sustainable Development Champions and colleagues.

The training was delivered by Cynnal Cymru and supported participants to better understand how climate change can affect us personally.

Participants learned how to develop their own responses to climate change and lower their carbon footprint and the footprint of others.

 

To reduce the impact of our waste and to support the reduction of marine litter, we’ve committed to phasing out single use plastics.

 

Plastic-Free Target

We’ve committed to removing singleuse plastic from our services. Over the next year, we’ll be investigating all areas where single-use plastic is used and investigating possible alternatives.