Sunday train service at last after 10-year battle
A TOWN left without a Sunday rail service will finally get one from next year.
Maesteg may also get double the number of trains on other days as rail infrastructure improvements are being examined.
The news has been broken by Ogmore AM Huw Irranca-Davies following a decade-long fight by residents and politicians to get passengers a service on a par with other towns.
“On the Sunday service, I thought we would be campaigning for the next 10 years,” said Huw.
“All of a sudden it opens up great new potential for the valley and highlights the way our valleys are part and parcel of the South Wales Metro .”
The new Sunday service will start after October 2018 with the commencement of the new Wales and Borders rail franchise.
Train companies are currently bidding for the chance to run Wales’ rail network and build the South Wales Metro as part of the largest procurement exercise in Welsh history.
Economy and Infrastructure Secretary Ken Skates has confirmed in a letter to Mr IrrancaDavies that they will specify that Sunday services will run on the Maesteg line as part of the procurement exercise.
Mr Skates added: “We are also working to identify opportunities to enhance the infrastructure on the line that will enable us to double the frequency of services between Bridgend and Maesteg.”
The current single track means Maesteg is only able to have hourly services but, if the long talked about “loop” or similar track enhancement is created at Tondu, half hourly services could be run.
Maesteg lost its passenger trains in 1970 and then regained them in 1992. But as services were reintroduced on a shoestring budget, the town was left lagging behind others.
“Myself and Huw David [leader of Bridgend council] have put the case strongly for Sunday services,” said Mr IrrancaDavies.
“This is a busy, popular line which people use to commute to work, including on weekends, and people travel up for events like the Gwyl Maesteg Festival, which starts shortly.”
He said the new franchise will not stipulate how many Sunday services will be run as it will be for the bidders to work it into their timetables.
“We are also lobbying hard to make sure that other parts of Ogmore and Bridgend, which are not served by rail, also benefit from the South Wales Metro project, by the introduction of improved bus services and fast buses throughout the valleys, universal ticketing which allows you to move between types of transport like bus and rail with a single ticket, digital information for passengers and joined-up timetabling to minimise delays,” he added.
Coun David said: “I am delighted to see that Maesteg will receive a Sunday rail service as part of the new franchise.
“This is the result of a lot of hard work making the case, led by Huw IrrancaDavies, and will be of great benefit for residents of the Llynfi Valley. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure Ken Skates has listened and acted.”