Railwatch 077 - October 1998

South Wales

By Peter Clark, Roger Ellis and Julian Langston

Ebbw Vale The feasibility study into restoring passenger services to the 20-mile line from Newport is now under way. It is being co-ordinated by Gwent Consultancy in conjunction with consulting engineers Halcrow Transmark and consultants DSW Rail. No information on the anticipated completion date was available at the time of writing.

Driving Wales forward This is the incredible title of the recently published Welsh roads review from the Welsh Office. This and the Welsh version of the white paper are disappointing in their lack of commitment to rail expansion. Specifically, the roads review rejects our contention that an inter-modal terminal at Fishguard, plus passenger service improvements, would obviate the need for road building in the area. Nor is there any indication that achieving restoration of passenger service on freight lines (Ebbw Vale and Vale of Glamorgan) is going to be any easier. The role of the Welsh Assembly in transport planning is emphasised and this body will have to be the focus of our lobbying efforts.

Prestigious events Rail access to two of Wales's most prestigious annual events has been improved this year following lobbying by RDS South Wales over several years. Hitherto, the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells and the more mobile National Eisteddfod had been almost entirely car-orientated. This year there has been a far more positive approach by the events organisers and Wales & West Trains.

The latter provided an extra train via the Heart of Wales line to serve the Royal Welsh Show and stopped all their trains through Pencoed on the South Wales main line to provide access to the National Eisteddfod. What a pity the National Rail Enquiry Service seemed to have difficulty giving details of the extra services.

Cardiff Card This is a facility valid for one, two or three days, offering unlimited travel on Valley Lines trains and Cardiff Bus services, plus free or reduced admission to various tourist attractions. However, not all of these can be reached by those two operators' services. Such is the fragmentary nature of the public transport industry that, instead of negotiating with other bus operators, the card offers reduced-rate car hire. It does not even mention that bus services exist to these attractions (on which card holders would have to pay a fare)! It shows how much attitudes will have to change if integrated transport is ever to be a reality.

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