TIME TO TAP OUR POTENTIAL

To quote the late great Elvis Presley, in relation to our railways and transport infrastructure, it's time for a little less talk, and some more action! It's time to tap our potential and build our country as it can be. The proposed South Wales metro is a first step for this region.  If we are serious about delivering reliable, effective and sustainable all weather communications to our communities then its time to consider reopening old railway lines to passenger and rail freight. Reopening the old railway lines between Llangefni on Ynys Mon, Caernarfon to Bangor, Aberdare and Hirwaun (in the Cynon valley) and Usk (via Little Mill) to the main line and between Builth Road to Builth would make a real difference.

Perhaps if the Con-Dem coalition government had, had a minor let alone a major infrastructure investment policy that functions outside of England would demonstrate that this Westminster Government is actually serious about making the union work for all its inhabitants. Investing in our public transport system would reduce carbon emissions and cut road congestion. Reopening and refurbishing our old railways and upgrading our existing lines for passenger and fright traffic could provide serious economic stimulation to the local economies and provide a real opportunity for our people.

A GREEN LIGHT?

Like many people I welcome the proposals to introduce electrification to the Valleys Lines rail network, something that is long-overdue and will be an important investment in our country’s somewhat neglected transport system. I view the proposed if limited electrification of parts of Valleys Lines network as a good start, with more to follow. What we should get is the electrification of the following lines:

• Cardiff Central to Cardiff Queen Street
• Cardiff Queen Street to Aberdare
• Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay
• Cardiff Queen Street to Coryton
• Newport to Ebbw Vale
• Cardiff Central to Maesteg via Pontyclun, Bridgend
• Abercynon to Merthyr Tydfil
• Grangetown to Penarth
• Cardiff Central to Danescourt via Radyr (City Line)
• Cardiff Queen Street to Rhymney
• Pontypridd to Treherbert
• Cardiff Central to Bridgend via Barry - Bridgend (Vale of Glamorgan)
• Barry to Barry Island
• Bridgend to Swansea

This is a good start, which combined with the electrification of the main line from Swansea to Paddington, will begin the modernisation of our railway network. This when combined with the Wales and Border franchise being run as not-for-dividend social model (which could happen when the franchise expires in 2018) could lay the ground work for a renewal of our railways in Wales.

The omission of any reference to reopening the final stage of the line from Ebbw Vale to Newport is disappointing and is something that needs immediate action. Over the medium term electrification should be extended to the other Gwent lines, through to Abergavenny and Chepstow.

If the governments in Cardiff and London were serious about our railways then serious consideration also needs to be given to looking at reconnecting some of our towns to the rail network. A good follow on would be reconnecting Caernarfon, Dolgellau and Builth Wells to the network, reopening the Llangefni and Amlwch on Ynys Mon, improving North – South rail communications and getting freight off road and back onto our railways.

LEGISLATE OR ADMINISTRATE?

The new National Assembly, post referendum and post election now has legislative powers - one question that needs to be asked (and answered) is how will those legislative powers be used and to what end? One area for potential legislation is that of our railway network (such as it is). In the last twelve years there have been two successful railway re-openings carried out by Network Rail at the request of the National Assembly the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Line (which re-opened on Friday 10th June 2005) and the Ebbw Valley Railway Line (which re-opened for passenger services on Wednesday 6th February 2008) were by their nature administrative rather than legislative unlike in Scotland (where specific bills to reopen old railways have been vigorously debated, scrutinised, amended and passed by the Scottish Parliament.

I mention this because I was just wondering when will we see bills placed before the National Assembly to:

• A bill to reopen the Ebbw Vale (Rogerstone) to Newport railink 
• A bill to reopen the Llangefni and Amlwch railway
• A bill to construct new railway stations at Caerleon and Magor 
•  A bill to reopen the Aberdare and Hirwaun railway (in the Cynon valley)
• A bill to set aside and protect old railway lines from development in Wales for potential reopening

ON THE RIGHT LINES

Network Rail is looking at restoring services on the disused Amlwch branch line (on Anglesey) that closed to passenger traffic more than 35 years ago. The old line between Llangefni and Gaerwen shut in 1964 but remained in use for chemical freight until the early 1990s. The four-and-a-half miles (7.2km) of track will be subject to a feasibility study will see engineers looking at 31 bridge and culverts, as well as earthworks on the route. They will also examine the feasibility of refurbishing the Llangefni station building and its disused platform. This is good news - any chance that network Rail can have a look at the old line between Little Mill and Usk, with a view to similar feasibility study?