station, not railway, but otherwise great!!

Pembrokeshire railway reopens after 48 years

• Rachael Misstear, WalesOnline
• May 14 2012

Comments (2)

Recommend

• inShare
• Share on email
• Share on print

Fishguard Goodwick Station in the 1950s

The last train arriving for passengers at Fishguard and Goodwick station’s platform was more than 48 years ago.

However, commuters wanting to travel from the North Pembrokeshire railway station won’t face such lengthy delays after the facility was reopened today for the first time since 1964.

Once a bustling hub for both traders and passengers - the station became a victim of the Beeching cuts and was closed by British Railways, when services were withdrawn.

Its revival follows a long campaign by a passenger group which says the existing Fishguard station at the ferry terminal was too far outside the town.

It comes after a £1.4m -a-year rail service to Fishguard was launched last September in a move aimed at boosting the area’s tourism and economy.

The five extra daily services between Fishguard and Carmarthen were in addition to the two services connecting with the ferries to Ireland.

The latest project has seen around £325,000 spent on rebuilding and updating the old station, which will now benefit from the extra trains, running Monday to Saturday.

The North Pembrokeshire Transport Forum (NPTF), which campaigned for a better station and improved services, said parking at the old station was also too expensive.

Secretary Hatti Woakes said the reopening was great news for the area.

“This is such wonderful news for the people of Pembrokeshire, it is something we have worked so hard for since the forum began.

“Goodwick has the potential to be a hub for so many things but the only thing missing was a decent train service.”

She said the forum was involved in the preparation of the new timetables.

“We tried to organise them so that people can travel when they want to.

“We’re now getting people commuting to Carmarthen, which we have never had before. These train services were really the missing link for Pembrokeshire.”

Tourism and business leaders have welcomed the service and facility, which they say is a major development in public service improvement for North Pembrokeshire.

Councillor Jamie Adams, who is also a member of SWWITCH (the South West Wales Integrated Transport Consortium), said improvements to rail services west of Swansea were not only a priority for Pembrokeshire but for the South West region as a whole.

“The re-opening of the station is a positive step for the communities of Fishguard and Goodwick and will help attract passengers to the new enhanced rail services,” he said.

Jeremy Martineau of Fishguard and Goodwick Chamber of Trade and Tourism said businesses were bound to benefit from the redevelopment.

“There is no doubt the people of Goodwick, and more widely across West Wales, will benefit from this, not only for their personal transport connections but in terms of attracting tourists.

“This reconnects us to tourists in an even more visible and more environmentally responsible way. It is tempting for people from abroad and across the boarder to see us as very remote but this is an important signal that says ‘we are here, we are accessible, it is a wonderful area , so come and visit.’”

Local photographer and historian Johnny Morris said the station, once a thriving hub of trade, deserved a revival.

“The station was once a busy hub of activity with trucks of coal heading out from there with at least three merchants operating.

“There was also, more surprisingly, a great deal of rabbit being traded via the station. During the Second World War, there were three agents who were sending hampers of about 40 rabbits each every day to places like Coventry, London Birmingham . The rabbits of West Wales kept the people of the English cities fed with quality protein during the war years. My grandfather was being paid 15 shillings a week from catching rabbits and that was a profitable sideline for many people. This really was a thriving and busy station and at one point carried around 200 people working at the Royal Navy Armaments Depot at nearby Trecwn.

“To see the station reopen is incredibly important for the area.”

Ben Davies, Stakeholder Liaison Manager for Arriva Trains Wales said:

“This area will see a real benefit from the additional service this will allow us to provide, which will no doubt have a positive impact on the local economy."

Comments (2)

Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/05/14/91466-30966854/#ixzz1uyeaO11o

right lines - makeover and take off!

Yes! Great strides on media over the last few days! Not only do we now have a Magazine Editor (Phil Marsh) but new member Grant Henderson will also be helping out. We also now have a Press Officer, Debra Sainsbury, who will be communicating to the local, regional, railway and green media, greatly raising the profile of the New S&D.

This is something we've held back on because we felt that we needed some sort of presence before blitzing the media and pulling in far more members locally. The hope is that every forward-thinking resident along the route gets actively involved in getting their railway back. It may be a struggle at first because much of the media is backwards-looking, leftward-leaning, silver spacesuited and hardly aware of climate change, let alone Peak Oil, but we'll soon change that!

As for Right Lines, this has really not happened as much as it should, and ideally will become at least a twice a year quality publication with fixed publishing dates (June and December?), covering the restoration, the original route, heritage aspects, economics, the local area and giving a focus for all the behind the scenes work as well as the restoration work. It will also add value to membership for members outside the area, and our overseas members, being kept up to date with all the big events and action now happening around the S&D.

Things are happening very quickly and it may be that Right Lines may well become a thrice yearly or even quarterly publication in time.

spetisbury lift off

This time last week the very first ever SPETISBURY restoration day was drawing to an end. As you can see from the above pic the up platform was cleared of some of its vegetation and is already looking more loved.

The plan at Spetisbury is to restore the station to its classic 1920s condition with rebuilding the buildings on both platforms.

There is already quite a team doing the work and I've noticed a surge in new memberships from around the area.

The best way to keep up with happenings at Spetisbury is to join the Spetisbury Station Restoration facebook group, or you can contact Project Manager Dean Cockwell (email etc on the sidebar).

opportunity

A fantastic opportunity for the lazy/impatient'wealthy S&D fan is this magnificent 4mm fine scale S&D model based on Midford and Midsomer Norton stations. It's big - 24 x 8.5 feet!

More pictures here. 

To discuss please email Bothp7@aol.com or phone 0161 9269480 - the model is advertised in the current Railway Modeller so be quick!

a short break

I'm taking a short break from tomorrow until Tuesday, so there probably will be a few days without posts - I have dozens lined up!

It's been an amazingly busy few weeks with the New S&D, lots of new members plus of course Spetisbury up and running from tomorrow - do try to get along if you can - details on the Spetisbury Facebook group or from Dean, the Spetisbury Project Manager (email address on sidebar). Still waiting on news on Templecombe Box which may become our third active site on the route.

I'm only taking a couple of days in Weymouth, nothing exotic this time, so expect a report on Weymouth's main tourist attraction-in-waiting, the Weymouth Tramway.

Why not treat yourself to a book or DVD - please buy via our Amazon shop. If you sign in via our shop (details/link on sidebar) ANYTHING you buy whilst signed in will earn us a 5% commission!

wonderful midsomer norton

Grab a ticket to support station

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Somerset Guardian

Follow

Midsomer Norton's heritage railway station held an open weekend to encourage more people to help out at the tourist attraction.

Volunteers have spent the last 14 years returning the derelict station back to its heyday.

1. ​

• •
 
• •
 
• •
 
• •
 
• •
 
• •

Following relaying of a section of track south towards Chilcompton, 2012 has seen the Silver Street station run heritage passenger trains.

The increase in operations means there are opportunities to help with welcoming visitors to the centre or staffing the shop, ticket office, providing catering or becoming a guide at the museum.

There is also a chance for people to become involved at the station's Second World War pillbox exhibition – one of the country's smallest museums.

There are also positions in behind-the-scenes administration and management roles or joining the editorial staff for the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust's award-winning magazine, The Telegraph.

Trust chairman John Buck said: "It's exciting to see the constant progress at Midsomer Norton station, over the years there has been much dedication and application in restoring this lovely example of Somerset life and industry.

"We are very pleased to be able to offer new opportunities for volunteers to get involved in this characterful and rewarding heritage centre."

Full details can be found on the trust's website www.sdjr.co.uk.

For more information about volunteer vacancies call Shirley Steel on 01761 411630.

wood burning ..

We're off here next year - Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. Not just for the skiing but also because one of the main ways to get to the cable car stations is by two foot gauge train - and the locomotive is wood burning steam. So I'll be doing some research for the New S&D as well as hitting 100 mph on the slopes ...

trees at midford - policy

Some visitors at Midford have expressed some dismay that trees are being taken down on site. The following document from Stuart Seale explains the position and will appear on our website. Click on image to read!

more doubling ... yet more trains

Our roving committee member Lee Fletcher sent me a piece on the Loughor Viaduct a few months ago which estimated that the cost of building this structure was in the region of fifteen million pounds only. This puts the cost of restoring/rebuilding bridges and viaducts on the S&D into perspective and suggests that rebuilding of the route will not be as expensive as first thought.

This new viaduct is part of the redoubling of a route in south Wales, more info has just come in.

A £40m plan to significantly improve the rail infrastructure between Swansea and Gowerton was unveiled yesterday as Network Rail submitted its proposal to Carmarthenshire Council.

Backed by the Welsh Government and the South West Wales Integrated Transport Consortium (SWWITCH), this improvement will meet a key rail strategy to improve performance, connectivity and cater to a rising passenger demand in West Wales.

It is forecast that passengers in West Wales could rise by 20% by the end of the decade.

Jointly funded by Network Rail and the Welsh Government, the scheme combines two core programmes of work – the replacement of the Loughor viaduct and the installation of an additional six-mile track between Cockett West Junction and Duffryn West Junction.

In addition, the disused eastbound platform at Gowerton station will be reinstated to cater for the new track.

Mark Langman, route managing director for Network Rail Wales, said yesterday:

“Today’s announcement of our plan is another affirmation of Network Rail’s commitment to growing the railway in Wales.

“This scheme has come about by a shared vision with the Welsh Government and SWWITCH, and the recognition that investment in rail infrastructure is good for the economy and will help support and nurture Welsh economic growth.

“We hope that local authorities, passengers and the local community share our vision of the long term benefits and support us during the construction works to deliver the scheme successfully.

“The scheme promises to bring huge social economic benefits in south west Wales by improving capacity and connectivity to key employment centres such as Swansea, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Fishguard and Milford Haven.

“There will be an improved passenger experience with shorter journey times and better connections that will also encourage modal shift, potentially removing around 300,000 trips from road to rail and improving the green credentials of rail.”

Key benefits of the scheme include:

• A new structure at Loughor and that is strong enough to support two tracks.
• Better performance on the railway as the additional new track will allow trains to continue to run when one of the lines is shut or congested.
• Provide more capacity on the railway to potentially enable two more trains to run between Swansea and Llanelli and one more train to run between Swansea and Carmarthen per hour.
• A bigger, accessible and secure Gowerton station with two platforms, a new DDA compliant footbridge with ramps, real-time customer information system, CCTVs and better lighting.
• Modernised signalling infrastructure and enhanced crossing equipment at Duffryn to improve infrastructure reliability and safety.
• Stronger bridges at Traffle Mill, Gypsy Cross and Rhosog.

Subject to planning approval and listed building consent, Network Rail is proposing to keep the existing natural stone abutments and some of the Grade II listed trestles and erect a small section of the old Loughor viaduct on the West shore as part of its conservation efforts.

In addition, Network Rail will be seeking approval from Environment Agency Wales, Countryside Council for Wales, WG Marine Consent Team to help protect the environment at the Loughor Estuary and Carmarthen Bay area. An environmental impact assessment has also been carried out.

Work will also be planned carefully to minimise disruption to passengers by carrying out majority of the work without having to close the railway.

Source.

more doubling ... more trains

Wrexham Council has welcomed the news that the railway line between Wrexham and Chester is to be redoubled after 30 years of single track lines. Between Saltney Junction and Wrexham General, seven miles of track will be redoubled, having been singled in the 1980s and the line speed will be increased to 90mph on some sections. The costs of the proposed redoubling and line speed works are estimated at £36.66m. The works are expected to be completed by early 2015.

Redoubling of this line has been one of the council’s strategic rail objectives and has been a priority of Taith, the regional transport consortia for some time. The scheme is being delivered under the Welsh Governments National Transport Plan, as part of the North-South Wales journey time enhancement project.

(Via Railfuture)

the fate of freight

As promised some of the images of the sheer variety of freight wagons etc available on the railways in the 1950s. There was no assumption back then that railways were only suitable for certain very specialised loads - the railways could and would carry anything. The idea that railways were some sort of inflexible mode for niche freight was a POLITICAL idea, not an economic one. As Warren Buffet says once you've got your track and equipment in place almost every dollar goes to the bottom line.

From these pics it looks pretty clear that in the 50s this weird politics had not yet infected the railways, and that they were there to do a job.

What happened to all these wagons, and all these jobs? No doubt scrapped, with the traffic, still growing, forced on to ever more crowded roads!

But remember, in Europe and even in the transport backwater of the USA MOST freight, even before the energy crisis, goes by rail. In Switzerland all large lorries in transit have to switch to rail. In the poor old UK the majority of freight is still moved in inefficient, polluting and lifespan-limited lorries, clogging our roads and leading to the ludicrous situation - as at Pensford or on the A34 - of a slow-moving road clogged with lorries running alongside CLOSED railways!!

The deliberate running down of the rail network to favour the pockets of one 'man', Ernest Marples, will soon be seen as the criminal act it was. And soon, in the teeth of severe climate change and the end of cheap oil, the railways will once again be free to do the job they do so well, carrying the nation's freight.

cherish

You all know I'm a bit of a car nut and I LOVE this video of driving in 1963.

Within 20 years, probably less, few if any of us will still be driving. The car will simply vanish, a victim of its inability to be flexible with fuel. A few will no doubt survive in museums, but that is all.

I've been photographing cars for years, and hope more of you will do the same. We need to all do our part to record this so brief form of transport. Not just the cars, but the lorries, buses etc that also will use the roads for a few more years. And also of course all the associated infrastructure - garages, motorway services etc, because once they're gone they'll be gone for good.

And again I urge you all to get out and take photos of diesel trains - they may not even survive as long as cars and buses.

It's so good that somebody had the foresight  to capture the roads way back in 1963, but how many other people did it? Our kids and their kids will look in wonder back to the days when almost everyone had their own funny little metal box on wheels. Eventually cars and roads may even gain a certain nostalgic glamour ... and who knows, there may even be one or two preserved roads with the odd car or bus shuttling along it.

saltford's getting closer

A petition signed by more than 2,000 people calling for the reopening of Saltford railway station has been presented in Parliament.

North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg handed over the petition in the House of Commons as a campaign gathers pace to get trains stopping once again at the halt which closed in 1970.

1. ​
   From left, Chris Warren, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, Richard James and Duncan Hounsell

A team of more than 30 campaigners knocked on doors in the village to collect 2,028 signatures, which they estimate represents support from around two-thirds of households – with success at around 90 per cent of homes where someone was in.

Nearly 800 of the people signing up said they would use the station at least once a week, with 261 saying they would be daily users.

Mr Rees-Mogg met representatives of the Saltford Station Campaign Group at Westminster Hall to receive the petition and later formally handed it in during a session in the main chamber.

Group spokesman Duncan Hounsell said: “Jacob Rees-Mogg has given the campaign whole-hearted support from the outset. Handing in our petition to the House of Commons gives our campaign another boost.”

The station campaign is backed by B&NES Council, which has agreed to act as the official promoter of the reopening project, Bath Spa University and the West of England Partnership.

Mr Rees-Mogg said: “Reopening it makes a lot of sense. The A4 is a very heavily used road and if we can move more people from road to rail, that would have great benefits for the community.”

He said the speeding up of trains with the electrification of the line through the village meant it would be less disruptive to introduce more stopping services into timetables.

“In the 13 years from 1997 to 2010, just ten miles of line were electrified. There are now plans for 800 – that is a huge increase.”

gartell 2012

Gartell Railway Open Days 2012

Easter Monday 9 April
Bank Holiday Monday 7 May
Sunday 3 June
Sunday 24 June
Saturday 28 July (Steam & Vintage Show)
...Sunday 29 July (Steam & Vintage Show)
Sunday 5 August
Sunday 12 August
Sunday 19 August
Sunday 26 August
Bank Holiday Monday 27 August
Sunday 30 September
Sunday 28 October

freight everywhere!

(Copyright The Rail Thing - 1962)

Just purchased by The Rail Thing is this slide of Templecombe shed in 1962 - ignore the copyright message!

Look at all the freight wagons around. This is just four years before the line was closed.

Idiot Beeching's biggest error was to deprive the railways of so much freight traffic because he simply didn't understand economics. The cost of maintaining and running freight wagons is minimal. A single load will probably pay for a wagon's maintenance for a year. The net effect of Beeching's attack on freight was to further reduce income, and further increase congestion on the roads. Next time you're stuck behind a lorry, churning out diesel fumes at 25 mph, remember that the freight should be on the railways, not the roads.

I fully expect Templecombe to contain even more freight wagons in 20 or 30 years' time, when the roads between towns no longer exist and rail is the only way to move things. Forget bulk loads, future rail freight will carry everything, though hopefully we won't be using quite as much stuff as we do now!

amazing amazon

We now have an Amazon Associates store. Anything you order via this link will earn 5% of the sale price directly to the New S&D. This % will rise as more is sold.

I've tried to put in a good range of books, DVDs, model railway items etc but if there is something you need and it's not on here please let me know and I'll add it to the site so you can order it through us.

Not all items are priced, this is because they are not currently in Amazon's stocks, but I'll leave all these items open in case they do appear at a later date.

With two hungry stations to feed and perhaps a signal box as well soon this is an excellent and painless way to donate money to us without actually doing anything!

As the stations at Spetisbury and Midford are rebuilt we will be opening shops at each site as well, so soon you'll have a huge range of products, both S&D and non-S&D, to choose from.

Incidentally we are still looking for a Sales Manager to take over the whole New S&D sales side, which will be a really interesting, important and fun job. If interested please email leysiner@aol.com

You can also reach our Amazon shop by clicking here.

spetisbury ... all systems go!!

Dear Volunteer,

I have just posted these messages to our Facebook page, and if anyone cannot make it for any reason, and wants to keep up to date with our progress at Spetisbury, visit http://www.facebook.com/ and if you have a facebook account, log in and get yourself on the Spetisbury facebook page, we would be glad of your company.

If you don't have a facebook account, don't worry. We will also have our progress posted on The New Somerset & Dorset Railway website at http://www.somersetanddorsetrailway.co.uk/

Anyway, here are the messages!

OK Group! I can't hold onto the news any longer. We are good to go, or we will be on the 1st of May. I met with Richard at DCC on Monday, and he is going to give us a license to do clearance work on the platforms. I will get the full details in due course, but I want to call a site meeting for Sunday 6th May, so I am going to need numbers. Those of you who can make it, please let me know. I need you to park up at the school which is up the north end of the village, as there is not enough room by the bridge, close to the station. Let's say between 10 and 11am. And bring tools, just in case we feel the urge to get started on the day. I know this is cheesey! But, ARE YOU WITH ME?

I know I have mentioned this before, but if you want to help us and work on the clearance of the platforms, we need you to be a member of The New Somerset and Dorset Railway. It's all to do with insurance. I will bring forms with me for those of you who have not signed up yet!
I know this is obvious, but I would like all volunteers who work on the clearance work party, to wear at least strong shoes/ boots, preferably steel toe capped.
I don't want any accidents, and I am sure that you don't either! That's it, I have said my piece! Now let's go and have some fun!

If you want to help, and you have not let me know through the facebook page, then please reply to this e-mail so that I know how many of you will be turning up on the day?

Best regards,

Dean Cockwell

Project Manager - Spetisbury

The New Somerset & Dorset Railway

a real shock

We've booked a short break in Washford in August. Thanks to the lack of a rail connection at Taunton we're having to go all nostalgic and take the car, but the plan was to park it up for three days and use the WSR to get everywhere.

Of course, perhaps rather naïvely, I assumed it would be running a decent service, but the last train back from Minehead is at 17.25!!!!! I was rather hoping we could have a night out in Minehead. perhaps catching the last train around 11.30.

Mmmm. I don't get this. Surely there is loads of potential custom from both Minehead and all the towns en route to justify a proper community service, keeping cars and buses off the totally inadequate road system?

So the choice will be - go for a night out and come home at just before half past five (LOL!), stay in Washford or drive to Minehead with one of us as a designated driver.

And the bigger question is - how many millions have the WSR lost over the years by offering what seems to be jjust a train ride? And how sustainable is that?

that was the week that was

This has been a very busy week! Best week for new members for some considerable time - if you have joined/renewed in the last couple of weeks your membership card etc should be with you in the next few days.

Then that excellent letter from the Ministry which will provide ammunition for years to come, and will certainly pop up like a bad penny if any dinosaur out there tries to further encroach on our trackbed! Perhaps the letter is the biggest reason for the sudden surge in members?

And then the excellent idea of taking on the shell of Templecombe signalbox for a third base on the route for the New S&D. Whilst most visitors to Midford will come on bike and foot, and most to Spetisbury on foot, most to Templecombe will come by train!

Also in the last couple of  weeks we've had a few hard hitters join the management team of the New S&D, which should keep the rest of us on our toes! And the comments section has been bulging this week with loads of excellent ideas, also creating extra work.

I've never really had any doubt that the S&D will return - the alternatives of a network type line hemmed in by security fencing and using unsustainable fuel, or a transport-free wasteland between Bath and Bournemouth are simply hideous.

And to tap it all off Shillie Bear has been visiting some of my favourite places in New York City!