Village in line for rail station 50 years after closure

PLANS to give a mid-Wales village a railway station more than 50 years after its first was closed have been boosted by UK Government funding.

Bow Street station in Ceredigion shut in 1965 when it fell victim to the notorious Beeching cuts.

But the Department for Transport (DfT) has pledged to invest almost £4m in a scheme to build a new station a short distance from the original site.

It is hoped this will ease traffic congestion in nearby Aberystwyth.

A DfT spokesman said the Welsh Government will be responsible for finding the remaining £2.8m to pay for the project.

A total of five stations are being supported in the latest round of investment worth £16m from the UK Government’s new stations fund.

The other four are Horden Peterlee, County Durham; Warrington West, Cheshire; Reading Green Park, Berkshire and Portway Parkway near Bristol.

The stations will be completed by March 2020, according to the DfT.

Rail minister Paul Maynard said: “The new stations fund is a great example of how our record investment in the railways and work with local authorities and industry is delivering better journeys for passengers and boosting local economies.”

Lianna Etkind of the Campaign for Better Transport said: “This announcement is great news for the many thousands of people who will now benefit from being connected to the rail network, opening up new jobs and life opportunities and boosting economies. New stations transform communities.”