Rhondda rail enthusiasts plan Maerdy mine heritage line.

I see they have used a photo with the caption "The last passenger train arrived at Maerdy in 1964" that was patently taken much later than 1964.

 

As with any scheme I wish it the best of luck. But cant help but feel that it's already been proven that South Wales has enough lines in that area.
However others might know better (it's not an area I'm hugely familiar with).

 

If only there was a preserved line on a former coal route in the South Wales valleys with a museum about coal mining next door, within an hour of Cardiff.

 

Blaenavon springs to mind.

 

I think Corbs was being sarcastic...

Keith

 

This has been a debate held on Nat Pres before but South Wales has seen as many failed schemes as those that still remain today. Currently we have the Gwili in the west and P & B in the east, which provide a nice contrast, one being a rural GWR line and the other an industrial LNWR line (as mentioned next to a mining museum...). As for the rest, well we have the Barry Island Railway which has the odd open day, the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway operating on 300 yards of track with a red oxide Mk2 and Dutch style 08 on occasional days, and the Garw Valley Railway which is moving forward but does not have any operational section of track.

The failed schemes- Swansea Vale Railway ; Vale of Neath ; Caerphilly Railway Society ; Barry Island Railway version 1 ; Cynon Valley Railway ; Wales Railway Centre and probably a few more besides....

I can't believe that anyone would seriously advocate a new scheme these days on vacant track bed. How much does it cost for a TAWO? By the time you have held a public enquiry you could have shelled out six figures before you have even laid a panel of track.....

Local Authority support is a must. Gwili and P & B would probably say that it is only with this support that both have moved forward significantly in the last 10 years or so.

However, good luck to them....although as stated I'm not sure what this scheme could offer that Blaenavon couldn't.

regards

Matt

 

In line exactly with my thinking. But we shall see.