The Welsh valleys successful rail story
On the evening of the 8th of April a very good transport meeting hosted by FOSBR Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways took place. David McCallum, creator of the Ebbw Vale railway passenger line to Cardiff in South Wales, told the whole 10 year long story. This passenger line, which was closed in the 1960's under the Beaching cuts, is now reopened as a passenger line. Since the reopening two years ago, this line has seen unprecedented passengers increase. The six reopened stations on this line had platforms built to accommodate four car diesel multiple train sets. Such is passenger demand, they could easily put on another two carriages to accommodate the passengers. But the six reopened station platforms are not long enough to cater for the increase in passengers. All of these six reopened stations have been built with park and ride car parks which are free to use if you catch a local train. This line is such a success, more investment is going into it. More stations park and rides are to reopen on the Ebbw Vale to Cardiff line.
What a contrast there is here in the Greater Bristol area where decision makers have ignored our local railways and they have been starved of investment. Four Members of Parliament of the Greater Bristol area were invited to attend the FOSBR meeting. Only two MP's, Kerry McCarthy and Charlotte Leslie, attended. What a shame because the meeting was very good and presented very well. It highlighted if we had the right investment put into our local railways, they could be as equally successful as the Ebbw Vale line.
What is needed here is a commitment from our decision makers to follow the excellent example set by the Welsh Assembly. To start with we need to put a new platform in on the Severn Beach line next to the park and ride site at Portway We need Charlotte Leslie, MP for this area, to talk to Phillip Hammond, Secretary of State ,Theresa Villiers, Transport Minister, and Department for Transport highlighting the need of a new platform here.
The Henbury loop line - what an important railway line this is going to be with the opening of the new port extension at Avonmouth. Investment on this line will have to follow. Henbury station needs to be bought back and reopened as a modern station with a park and ride car park. Charlotte Leslie's election promise was to get the Henbury loop line opened to a passenger service. Please Charlotte can you bring this important railway line up in the Houses of Parliament with the enormous benefits this line would bring?
The closed and neglected run down Filton North station, adjacent to Airbus UK and right next door to the A38, on the Henbury loop line also needs to be rebuilt and reopened. Put in a park and ride site here. On the nearby UK Airbus land, to the best of my knowledge, Jack Lopresti is the MP for this area. Mr Lopresti, can you in your capacity speak up in the Houses of Parliament for the opening of the Henbury loop line, and the opening of Filton North station? Please bring this important railway line to the attention of Phillip Hammond, Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers Transport Minister, DFT Department for Transport.
Dave Woods, RMT member, writes a weekly column in Bristol Evening Post.