Carmarthen to Aberystwyth Reopening?

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What the Plaid Manifesto?

It sounds like something that can be purchased at the retail shop at the Trefiw Woollen Mills, plaid being a traditional fabric design...

 

[Gareth Marston]

Let's go the whole hog, and throw in a couple of bottles of Double Dragon per passenger. Although that might require a lengthy rest stop at Lampeter, which would slow down the end to end time. Worth it though.

Rural Welsh roads + double dragon beer + welsh cakes = vomit party!

The trouble is the bus or high quality luxury coach has to travel on rural roads that are tarmac cart tracks. I used the X71 service to go to Montgomery and back yesterday afternoon from Newtown lets just say the ride quality of a Pacer on jointed track is better.

 

[Llanigraham]

And some can't see why the Brynglas Tunnels need a diversionary route!!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ninety-minute-tailbacks-m4-after-13068167

 

[Rhydgaled]

And some can't see why the Brynglas Tunnels need a diversionary route!!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ninety-minute-tailbacks-m4-after-13068167

Diversionary route maybe, (Stuart Cole's 'blue route'?), if the tunnel is more likely to be closed for an exteneded period than any other part of the route and IF it can be done without generating more traffic. But a second motorway; no way.

 

[Gareth Marston]

And some can't see why the Brynglas Tunnels need a diversionary route!!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ninety-minute-tailbacks-m4-after-13068167

The article says it's due to one of the tunnels being closed for maintenance. This sort of thing happens all the time all over the country. It's an inevitability that some road users will be inconvenienced when this happens.

If we start building duplicate sections of Motorway in case of the possibility of road maintenance when do we stop?

 

[The Planner]

If we start building duplicate sections of Motorway in case of the possibility of road maintenance when do we stop?

The irony of that one when diversionary route pops up as a reason to reopen a railway line.

 

[PHILIPE]

The article says it's due to one of the tunnels being closed for maintenance. This sort of thing happens all the time all over the country. It's an inevitability that some road users will be inconvenienced when this happens.

If we start building duplicate sections of Motorway in case of the possibility of road maintenance when do we stop?

At the same time there are major works going on at J28 Tredegar Park

 

[rf_ioliver]

And some can't see why the Brynglas Tunnels need a diversionary route!!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ninety-minute-tailbacks-m4-after-13068167

Because the Brynglas Tunnels are two lanes each direction with a major junction just to the west (A4051), although traffic should be taken off from the east onto the A4042.

t.

Ian

 

[Gareth Marston]

At the same time there are major works going on at J28 Tredegar Park

Poor planning admittedly

 

[PHILIPE]

Poor planning admittedly

The Tredegar Park works are going on for 16 months. It is just the Eastbound tunnel which is closed and the recommended diversionary roue was the Ring Road (Southern Distributor Rd) from Tredegar Park to the Coldra (J24) of the M4 but, according to a Post on Twitter this was poorly signposted with the result drivers were still heading towards the Brynglas Tunnels and then forced to turn off at the Malpas Rd Junction immediately before.

 

[Envoy]

The closure of the eastbound tunnel at Newport from 8pm on Saturday to 6am on Monday should have been mentioned on both ITV & BBC regional news programmes in both Wales and the West (Bristol). As far as I know - no mention was made. I did pick up on it via Media Wales (Western Mail & South Wales Echo). A lot of people simply do not read Media Wales.

I also wonder if the Highways England gave advanced warning on the electronic signs on the M4?

Anyway, hopefully we will now go back to the topic that goes on & on!

 

[PHILIPE]

The closure of the eastbound tunnel at Newport from 8pm on Saturday to 6am on Monday should have been mentioned on both ITV & BBC regional news programmes in both Wales and the West (Bristol). As far as I know - no mention was made. I did pick up on it via Media Wales (Western Mail & South Wales Echo). A lot of people simply do not read Media Wales.

I also wonder if the Highways England gave advanced warning on the electronic signs on the M4?

Anyway, hopefully we will now go back to the topic that goes on & on!

We've been straying off topic because there's nothing else left to say on it

 

[PeterC]

The irony of that one when diversionary route pops up as a reason to reopen a railway line.

Diversionary routes are clearly signed on the road system. That is what the squares, triangles etc on road signs are for.

 

[Greenback]

We've been straying off topic because there's nothing else left to say on it

I do think that the topic of reopening Carmarthen to Aberystwyth is now pretty much exhausted. no doubt the subject will raise it's head in the media before the election, so i don't think it would be wise to close this thread, but please start another one for further discussions about the M4.

Well said, ChiefPlanner, though, for those most excellent proposals on the Swansea District line and further investment in the coach link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.

 

[Gareth Marston]

I do think that the topic of reopening Carmarthen to Aberystwyth is now pretty much exhausted. no doubt the subject will raise it's head in the media before the election, so i don't think it would be wise to close this thread, but please start another one for further discussions about the M4.

Well said, ChiefPlanner, though, for those most excellent proposals on the Swansea District line and further investment in the coach link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.

Using the SDL has featured in many submissions to WG over the years and to some of the current bidders lets hope the penny drops.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I do think that the topic of reopening Carmarthen to Aberystwyth is now pretty much exhausted. no doubt the subject will raise it's head in the media before the election, so i don't think it would be wise to close this thread, but please start another one for further discussions about the M4.

Well said, ChiefPlanner, though, for those most excellent proposals on the Swansea District line and further investment in the coach link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.

Massively underused piece of railway that - just think what could be done by a genuine limited stop service using this route section , tied in nicely with a new park and ride serving the Swansea Valley.

Always amazed how many people drive / commute from this area to Cardiff and beyond.

Making realistic use of existing infrastructure , rather than a hopeless "hinterland" proposal.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Massively underused piece of railway that - just think what could be done by a genuine limited stop service using this route section , tied in nicely with a new park and ride serving the Swansea Valley.

Always amazed how many people drive / commute from this area to Cardiff and beyond.

Making realistic use of existing infrastructure , rather than a hopeless "hinterland" proposal.

I use to live close to it in 77-79 when I was a child, remember the coal dust shade of blue 37's that always seemed to be on the trains.

As a geography graduate a "Swansea Valley Parkway" station is screaming out to be done looking at maps and where people live. Swansea High St is out the way for many.

 

[PHILIPE]

Using the SDL has featured in many submissions to WG over the years and to some of the current bidders lets hope the penny drops.

Although I'm not clued up on ORCATS and the sharing between ATW & GWR on the SWML, would this be a reason for a reluctance not to call at Swansea and miss out on revenue

 

[The Planner]

Diversionary routes are clearly signed on the road system. That is what the squares, triangles etc on road signs are for.

That isn't what I meant, the "oh but it would provide a diversionary route" usually gets trotted out when someone suggests a re-opened line.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Although I'm not clued up on ORCATS and the sharing between ATW & GWR on the SWML, would this be a reason for a reluctance not to call at Swansea and miss out on revenue

I think ATW set the fares Swansea to Cardiff , and there were revisions when the standard pattern TT came in around 2004 or so. Seem to recall FGW not happy.

One option of this M4 "corridor express" could be the cutting back of the GW Carmarthen services , and handing primacy west of High St to ATW or successor. This might not be welcomed by some , but would make sense if planned properly and a complete recast of "local" services in the whole sub region. Big picture needs to be looked at. How does this happen ?

Ex UCW geography graduate goes away to ponder ....

 

[Gareth Marston]

Although I'm not clued up on ORCATS and the sharing between ATW & GWR on the SWML, would this be a reason for a reluctance not to call at Swansea and miss out on revenue

It goes on numbers of trains with a weighting on length of train.

 

[Gareth Marston]

I do think that the topic of reopening Carmarthen to Aberystwyth is now pretty much exhausted. no doubt the subject will raise it's head in the media before the election, so i don't think it would be wise to close this thread, but please start another one for further discussions about the M4.

Well said, ChiefPlanner, though, for those most excellent proposals on the Swansea District line and further investment in the coach link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.

Greenback you clearly saw the letter from the Trawslink Campaign in the current edition of RAIL coming..........

 

[ChiefPlanner]

We need a Jeremy Bentham policy ......"the greatest good , for the greater number of people" (or similar) .......

Post arrived very late today , I did laugh over the Translink suggestion ......

 

[4973]

As a geography graduate a "Swansea Valley Parkway" station is screaming out to be done

If I remember my history correctly that would be the first passenger station ever for that line.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If I remember my history correctly that would be the first passenger station ever for that line.

Not quite - there was a very short lived station at Pontlliw .....

 

[krus_aragon]

Not quite - there was a very short lived station at Pontlliw .....

D.S.M. Barrie notes goods stations at Pont Lliw and Llangyfelach in his mapping of South Wales railways (Regional History vol.12). There are also platforms and halts at Felin Fran, Llandarcy, and Cardonnel, but they're further east.

 

[anthony263]

A regular service on the SDL sounds great especially if paths can be found for it between Bridgend & Cardiff. Certainly a station at Llandarcy and one at Morriston would be ideal especially as park & ride hubs. railfuture did do a report on the sdl a few years ago.

 

[Greenback]

Sometimes all we can do is hope! Stations at Llandarcy and maybe Ynysforgan instead of Morriston would be very useful, I imagine.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Sometimes all we can do is hope! Stations at Llandarcy and maybe Ynysforgan instead of Morriston would be very useful, I imagine.

Agree - would be a game changer for commuting especially - but has to be done with recast of services west of High Street towards Carmarthen and beyond (to maintain or improve connections)

Not sure how much "white space" is available on the SWML beyond the splendidly named Briton Ferry Up Flying Loop junction , but we are talking or hourly peak . maybe 2 hourly off peak .....

One only has to think of the stunning success that Gowerton now is after the redoubling , the £300K allocated the Hinterland line would be much better spent on some development work for this - including first a demand model , then in parallel a timing and resource plan , finally some stations scoping for Ynysforgan (Swansea Vale Parkway) - and Llandarcy Parkway.

Veering off the immediate topic - but worth a ramble.

 

[Greenback]

I'll tenously link it with the Carmartehn to Aberystwyth reopening discussion. Providing a service along the SDL will benefit far people than spending a lot more money on reinstating the railway through the rural swathes of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.