A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

There may be a faint glimmer, a flicker of hope or perhaps a distant green light as opposed to a red one - in relation to the establishment or perhaps re-establishment of the Ebbw Vale to Newport rail link. The new proposals from the new all Wales franchise holder include a reference to establishing a rail service between Ebbw Vale and Newport by 2021. So far there is not much detail - the resurrection of the connecting bus service (which I see trundle (empty) past me most mornings on my way to work) with more frequent but still empty freshly rebadged buses just won't do! 

Ebbw Vale to Newport by 2021?

A twice hourly rail service (at peak) and once an hour off peak between Ebbw Vale and Newport will be more than acceptable. The extra services (16) a day between Cardiff and Cheltenham must call at Chepstow and Severn Tunnel and the new stations at Llanwern and Magor - if and when they open. It's still not to late for the Welsh Labour government (and our other elected representatives) to extract a commitment to build at station to serve Caerleon / Ponthir - something that has been in both Gwent and Newport UDP's and LDP's since the 1980's. Todays news is definately a step in the right direction but I and no doubt plenty of other people will be interested in the detail. 

1 OUT OF 4

Don’t get me wrong; I think that the news that the £50-million railway station in Llanwern that has been unveiled as part of Plaid Cymru supported spending plans recently unveiled by the Welsh Government is a very good thing. The announcement has come as part of the draft Welsh budget for the 2018-2019 financial year yesterday, including Wales’ first taxes for 800 years. Among the plans are to hand the Welsh NHS an extra £230 million next year and £220 million the year after; £10 million to tackle homelessness; and a proposal to borrow £375 million over the next three years.  

The Llanwern Development

What we are not seeing, at least locally, is a very public commitment to starting the work on the South East Wales Metro – something that is always viewed or at least presented as whole rather than the sum of its parts.  We need to see a lasting and public commitment to the railway stations at Caerleon and Magor, as well as at Llanwern.  There has been a commitment in successive UDP’s since 1986, but precious little has been done to actually get on with it.  Stations at Caerleon, Llanwern and Magor  (with safe, secure and reasonably priced,  if not free parking) would all help reduce road congestion and bring real benefits to commuters and rail passengers. The time for talking is over, its time to commit to breaking ground and getting on with it.