CROESO’ BUT DISAPPOINTMENT WITH RAILWAYS REOPENING REPORT – UPDATED 14/02/25
RAILWAY campaigners have welcomed a new feasibility report on re-opening the Bangor to Afon Wen line but added that they were also “disappointed.”
The heavy rail line was closed in 1964 as a result of Lord Beeching’s mass closures.
Traws Link Cymru (TLC) was formed in 2013 to reinstate the railway lines between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen and Bangor and Afon Wen.
TLC has argued that new railway lines could provide the stimulus needed to kick-start economic and social regeneration throughout Wales.
The group is still awaiting a date for a Senedd committee to discuss a petition signed by 12,936 people calling for the reinstatement of the axed lines submitted by Gwynedd councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn who walked 206 miles from Bangor to Cardiff as part of the campaign.
The 219-page report by AtkinsRéalis, Cardiff has been prepared for Transport for Wales and favours building a train-tram line which would not be able to carry freight.
TLC chair Dylan Wilson-Lewis, who recently featured in a Channel 4 series ‘Abandoned Railways from Above’ said: “We diplomatically welcome the publication of the report but express disappointment that it is focused on a light rail solution.
“TLC has always supported the restoration of the full heavy rail route that was closed in 1964, which would reinstate the region to the Welsh rail network and provide a better option of using existing rolling stock to maximise inter-regional connectivity by the means of extending regular mainline services throughout the region and beyond.
“For example a through service between Pwllhelli to Manchester Airport. It would also facilitate strategic north-south services, for example Bangor to Aberystwyth.
“Heavy rail restoration would also enable the option of freight services. Above all, reintegration of the Bangor – Afonwen line would generate considerable economic growth to the north-west region, which this report fails to address as part of its overall objectives.
Mr Wilson-Lewis said: “Light rail precludes through-services via Caernarfon and as a result lacks ambition.
“Reinstatement of Afonwen to Bangor to the overall Welsh national rail network, using existing rolling stock, and facilitating greater inter-regional connectivity, has always been TLC’s ambition and objective.”
He said: “There would also be an additional cost factor in procuring a new light rail rolling stock fleet that could only be used on this line.
“It’s also worth mentioning that existing local bus services should be completely integrated to connect smaller communities to a restored conventional railway, transporting passengers to the railheads at Caernarfon and Pwllheli for example.”
TLC member Bob Saxby added: “My first impression is that they have decided on tram/trains for the whole route which precludes through services to Caernarfon.
“Tram/trains might be a solution for rural lines through west Wales, but the interchange with heavy rail should be at Caernarfon. This is a much better rail head for the area (even Earnest Marples knew that!) and could provide a much more convenient interchange than possible at Bangor.”
🚆 60 Years Since the Closure of Vital Railway Lines in Wales 🚆
This month marks 60 years since the closure of the Carmarthen – Aberystwyth and Porthmadog – Bangor railway lines—two strategically important transport corridors that should never have been lost. For six decades, there has been a deep sense of injustice over these closures, which severed vital connections for communities, businesses, and the economy of West and North Wales.
At Traws Link Cymru, we are as determined as ever to see these railways restored. We continue to work tirelessly—engaging with decision-makers, building the case for investment, and keeping the pressure on to reconnect our communities with sustainable, modern transport.
Throughout 2025, we will be stepping up our efforts to ensure that the reopening of these lines remains firmly on the agenda. With growing recognition of the need for better public transport and greener travel solutions, now is the time to make this a reality.
Your support is crucial—let’s keep the campaign moving forward! 🚆💪
📢 Stay tuned for updates and ways to get involved.
#TrawsLinkCymru #RestoreTheRailway #WestWalesRail #NorthWalesRail #SustainableTransport
Rail campaign on cloud nine as new TV documentary takes to the skies to examine the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line
An upcoming documentary will take a fresh look at the remains of the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen railway line, promising viewers unforgettable vistas of a railway which once directly connected the north and south of Wales and closed to passengers 60 years ago.
‘Abandoned Railways from Above’ is a new series by Channel 4 which takes a bird’s eye view of several closed railways in the UK, mapping out former routes in their current state and exploring the areas the lines passed through.
The fourth programme in the series visits various points of interest along the former Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line, including the work sheds of the Rheidol Railway, Trawscoed Mansion, Strata Florida Abbey, the former Pont Llanio creamery, a restored woollen mill in Cynwyl Elfed, as well as the Gwili Steam Railway.
Traws Link Cymru has been campaigning for the reintroduction of the line for over a decade, in which time a scoping study and a full feasibility study have been published by the Welsh Government.
Chairman Mike Walker said, “We couldn’t be more grateful to Channel 4 for choosing to explore this line as part of their new series. The footage speaks for itself as to how beautiful the former line from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen was, and despite our best efforts to film the line from above using our own drone, the professional photography of the production team has left us in awe.”
“This is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on this line, combining topographical footage with contributions from former railway staff, historians, and local business owners.”
“Viewers will be able to see for themselves just how vital – and feasible – reopening this line will be. After eleven years of campaigning, the next train departing from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen has never felt closer.”
TLC committee member and former Mayor of Aberystwyth Dylan Wilson-Lewis, who was interviewed in the documentary, added, “It was a privilege to be part of the programme, and being given exclusive access to Pencader Tunnel was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Abandoned Railways from Above: Aberystwyth to Carmarthen is broadcast on Channel 4 on Saturday, 12 October at 20:20.
ENDS.
CROESO TO THE EISTEDDFOD – CARS AND BUSES ONLY
THOUSANDS of people will flock to Pen Llŷn (Llŷn Peninsula) for the National Eisteddfod of Wales at the beginning of August – most of them in cars or buses.
The fact of the matter is that there is no existing rail service – or even tracks – to connect most people in east Wales with cities, towns and villages in West Wales.
So, most of the 150,000 competitors and visitors travelling to the small village of Boduan, near Pwllheli, between August 5-12, will have to use cars, buses or taxis to arrive and travel around the area.
The nearest train station is Pwllheli (Cambrian Railway) and Bangor (main train line along north Wales). The only problem with the Cambrian railway links from Aberystwyth and Machynlleth is that they are very slow.
It’s a three-and-a-half-hour journey from Aberystwyth to Pwllheli by train – about an hour and a half by car.
Unfortunately, there are no trains going from Bangor to Caernarfon or on to Pwllheli – and there is certainly no connection to Boduan. The line was closed in 1972 and the connection between Caernarfon and Afon Wen.
Although it will not be easy for everyone to travel to the Eisteddfod this year, remember to support the Traws Link Cymru (TLC) campaign to reintroduce rail links in west Wales so that will have decent connections as soon as possible.
NOTE FOR EDITORS: An on-line petition calling for the reopening of the railway lines from Bangor to Caernarfon and on to Afonwen as well as from Aberystwyth to Carmarthen attracted over 11,000 signatures in just a few months.
Now that the petition has exceeded 10,000 signatures it is likely to be debated at the Senedd in Cardiff.
A Feasibility Study for the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line, completed in 2018, showed no significant obstacles to reopening, and the Senedd debate could lead to further feasibility assessments for the northern sections of the railway link.
Reopening the line between Bangor and Caernarfon has been included in Wales’ Transport Strategy for many years. And there is a very strong business case for this with through trains to Caernarfon from Manchester Airport, Cardiff and London giving easy access for visitors to the area and its world heritage status and for local people to travel to jobs along the coast.
Reinstating the track south from Caernarfon would greatly improve access to Penrhyn Llŷn (Peninsula) and the Cambrian Coast. Journeys such as Pwllheli to London would be possible in under four hours via Caernarfon compared with the current six hours via Machynlleth and Birmingham.
Similarly access to places such as Lampeter, Tregaron and the Teifi Valley would be much quicker via Swansea than is currently the case, thus opening West Wales and making North-South Wales journeys possible without going via England.
If any of your readers would like to join our campaign, please log on to trawslinkcymru.org.uk or donate to your crowdfunding campaign https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/trawslinkcymru2 or go on to our Facebook or Twitter or Instagram links.
For more information, please get in touch.