The Gwili Railway thread

I don't see how it can ever be given the go ahead other than for political reasons, especially when most of the welsh network is still in need of electrification.

 

Yes I did my dissertation on devolution and the railway in Wales, and politically it makes sense to use the rhetoric of keeping the dream alive but the reality is very much different. There would be literally no benefit... Wouldn't even be much faster than a bus could do it...

 

Pie in the sky idea would be that the Welsh government reopen the line from Carmarthen to Llandeilo, and upgrade the HOW line to make it a viable route to Shrewsbury. Would give the Gwili a realistic chance of having a mainline connection too...

 

Electrification was (is still?) the responsibility of the UK government and not a devolved power, hence the row over cancelled electrification west of Cardiff.

Patrick

 

I'd prefer a decent service on the Cambrian Coast line. The 2 hourly service makes its use so inconvenient.

 

Don't get me started on that. Half arsed job with trains being redesigned to meet the reduced specification. Seriously, was no point.

I don't mind the 800s, I think they are pretty good as successors to the HST, but no buffet car, majority being 5 cars, carrying around a kitchen that 95% of the time isn't used, and being both diesel and electric I just find plain stupid.

 

If I'm being entirely honest, I don't even see any case for retaining Dyfi Jnc - Pwllheli. Is there any possibility of growing local traffic? Does anyone suppose housing shortages in Caerdydd, Abertawe or Caesnewydd (that's Cardiff, Swansea and Newport) could be solved by building thousands of homes in Aberystwyth, Machynlleth or Tywyn? Or any part of TRAWSLINK would help anyone travelling to/from rail-less Aberhonddu (Brecon), population over 8,000 ... which is rather more than the total of all settlements between Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) and Aberystwyth?

Even a full-blown TRAWSLINK - if it happens, which it won't - seems unlikely to add significantly to rail patronage. Consider, the only place of any substance currently not on the network is Caernarfon and the largest population I can find on the Aberystwyth - Caerfyrddin section, Lampeter, is below 3,000, comparable with Dolgellau, a very few miles inland and completely discounted by the scheme, for Bob's sake!

Had I been the one called upon to justify serious sums of public money on rehabilitating the likes of Bont y Bermo, or Pont Brewit, not to mention numerous rockslides, passenger numbers would make this somewhere north of 'a tricky sell'. Were the schools traffic to be switched to the roads, the already derisory passenger numbers would look still worse than they do. Even were feeder bus services to be laid on within any given railhead's catchment area, with a maximum line speed of 55mph, journey times are scarcely attractive, nor is there any realistic scope for doing anything to improve that key constraint.

 

The primary reason for TLC is not to link local services such as Lampeter to Aber, but to provide a symbolic connection through the middle of Wales. The local case is pretty shot with an elderly population many of whom live miles from the stations and have the advantage of a free bus pass.

the “through route analogy is not much better though. The most prosperous areas of Wales are those that have easy links to England (for example Bristol). It is fanciful to think that restoring a long-gone rail link will somehow shift the demographic. If the electrified line stops at Cardiff then how is creating further lines west going to help?

While the rail climate pre CoVID was reasonably positive, the rail industry will probably take a huge hit now and whether we will see rail continuing to be talked of in such terms is up for debate.

The reports have been rolled out with great fanfare and since then we have had occasional political sound bites but not much else. The report provided does not bin the scheme but leaves more questions than answers. Closing one of the main road access points into Caramarthen would be interesting, just as the engineering solutions for Tregaron bog would be literally sinking money into the ground. But the politicians don’t have to worry about the detail, do they.....

Regards

Matt

 

I see Shearings coach holidays (and Wallace Arnold Travel) have ceased trading with immediate effect.

Hopefully someone will pick up the coach holiday business and keep coach parties coming to the railway but will they be able to do so in the current holiday season?

 

Many tourist attractions rely on coach parties arriving. The problem for coach operators is how to deal with social distancing. The same issues, presumably arise for heritage railways. How do you balance the books with a large reduction in passengers and the apparent expensive adaptions needed to provide a safe environment. SLG are major players in the coach trade.

 

Volunteers have returned to site, initially only for the outside and essential work of clearing the lineside with suitable social distancing in force

Lots to do but starting to look better

regards

Matt

 

I bought the Gwili virtual gala booklet. A quality production and was much more than I was expecting, great value for £5.

Seems like the railway had a lot planned for the gala this year with different items of interest on both days.

 

thanks @JBTEvans , yes we did have a fair bit planned, hopefully next year now.

anyone who wants to purchase a gala brochure, can do so here, all proceeds to the Emergency Fund.

https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/gwilira...fiJGvqGTaRWCwkCb8h3VlyS91UIHWKEe9JlnJjCo#none

regards

Matt

 

Hi @Matt78 , any initial proposals of a date for this years postponed AGM yet?

I would appreciate it if you could include announcing it on here once the decision is made so I can get my travel plans sorted...

Thanks

Alan

 

Great news!

we have been awarded 22.4k by the Heritage Lottery Emergency Fund. This includes provision to complete the restoration of GWR 216 of 1888 and TVR 220 of 1891 as fully enclosed compartment stock.

regards

Matt

 

That's great news. Is the work going to be done in-house ? Do you have a target completion date ? (This year maybe ?)

 

yes most of the work will be done in house with some parts (a few doors) being contracted out. Plans are to finish the Mk1 presently in the shed (a few jobs left o/s at the time of lockdown) and then we can press on with them. Timescale - probably a good few months work but will post updates as things progress...

we are really pleased with this news as the two vintage carriages have had a lot of attention over the past 10 years or so without actually being in traffic, so it will be great to offer something different.

regards

Matt

 

That's good to here. Those two carriages seem to have always been on the verge of completion. Any plans for the other two 4 wheelers, 153 and is it 6008 ?

Now if only you had a nice carriage shed to store them in..

 

4 wheelers attached to a chassis are

GWR 216
TVR 220
TVR 153 (although the chassis may not be suitable)
GWR No.8

We have a few other “bodies” which are longer term projects.

regards

Matt

 

Is there any news on the Gwili reopening?