A MODEL CAMPAIGN - PLEASE APPLY!

Lets face it, our railways and our rail passengers have been neglected for long enough - we fork out a small fortune to the rail companies that hold the franchises - for a pretty poor unconnected service. Despite the threat (or promise) of future cuts to the Welsh budget there are opportunities to make a real difference locally.

Abergavenny Railway Stations should be a real asset to the town, a real gateway for travelers and tourists to the town and the Brecon Beacons National Park– the years of slow neglect must become a thing of the past, the station needs to be a real transport hub which inter-connect more fully with local bus services, regional rail services and provide links to enable rail travelers to access intercity services. The quiet on-going neglect must stop and the provision of better station facilities which will make a real and significant difference to rail passengers traveling to and from Abergavenny and the surrounding area.

Plaid Cymru, in Monmouth constituency has called for:

• More stopping services at Abergavenny during peak and non-peak hours.
• The provision of better facilities for passengers including waiting rooms for travelers.
• More safe and secure parking facilities at the stations.
• Better more thought out integration of Local bus services with train arrivals.
• The provision of disabled access to the station platforms.

The Plaid driven One Wales Government, working with Monmouthshire County Council and Network Rail should work to develop additional safe and secure car parking facilities, and fully integrate local bus services with train arrivals.

There are still some pretty significant gaps in services, more trains need to stop at Abergavenny, there is nothing quite so frustrating as standing on a platform watching a passenger train slow down to pass through the station without stopping. The station needs better toilet facilities and an extended waiting room for passengers, investment in facilities and better services will bring more passengers and more visitors to Abergavenny and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Now there is an example of what’s possible in South Monmouthshire, at Severn Tunnel Junction where the Severn Tunnel Action Group continues to fight to develop the railway Station. They have delivered real results for rail users, with retained rail services, better passenger waiting areas, new electronic information boards, improved parking facilities and the restoration of platform 4 which opened as of Monday 4th January 2009, which means that there should be less delays to train services.

Over the years they have reversed alleged irreversible and permanent cuts in rail services which prevented passengers journeying to Bristol, Bath, Newport and Cardiff and beyond. They are still campaigning to get the foot bridge and the provision of lifts for easy access for disabled and elderly rail passengers – this may well be the model for a future campaign to improve facilities and services at Abergavenny railway station.