Bangor to Caernarfon line is ‘cheaper than bypass’
NORTH Wales campaigners are needed to push for the reopening of a Gwynedd railway which last carried passengers more than 50 years ago.
That’s the call from West Wales rail campaign Traws Link Cymru, which wants to see the line reinstated from Bangor to Caernarfon and on to Afon Wen near Porthmadog.
The group says reopening the line , which closed to passengers in 1964, would bring a “huge financial boost” and more visitors to Caernarfon.
The line once had stations at Chwilog, Llangybi, Ynys, Bryncir, Penygroes, Groeslon, Llanwnda, Dinas, Caernarfon, Dinorwig, Treborth and Menai Bridge, but was axed in 1972 as part of Dr Richard Beeching’s overhaul of the UK rail network.
Traws Link Cymru says reopening the line would be a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to the planned Bontnewydd bypass .
A spokesperson for the group said: “We very much see the reopening of the line that ran from Bangor to Porthmadog until the 1960s as part of the grand vision of reconnecting north and south Wales by train .
“Until now, we have focused our energies on reopening the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line, but reopen- ing both would provide a north-south link within Wales and connect all eight university towns and cities in the country by rail “We have run a very successful campaign so far from Lampeter, and have secured a scoping study from the last Welsh Government.
“It concluded that very little stands in the way of reopening the Aberystwyth-Carmarthen line, with 97% of the trackbed clear and an estimated reopening cost of £505-750m.
“This compares very favourably with the much higher costs of building new roads. We are now well on our way to ensuring a full feasibility study.
“Despite being neighbouring counties, the distance between Ceredigion, where we hold our meetings, and Gwynedd is too vast to hold regular meetings about the Bangor-Porthmadog line.
“We are therefore very keen for people in north Wales to get involved with the campaign by forming a second group.”
Former Conwy council transport chief Bob Saxby said: “If the line was reopened, trains would take around 13 minutes to get to Caernarfon from Bangor.
“It would attract considerable numbers of visitors to Caernarfon who otherwise would not consider it.
“This would be even more so if the Virgin Trains currently terminating at Bangor were extended to Caernarfon, as it would then be possible to board a train in Caernarfon and get off at Euston just three hours and 27 minutes later.”
Traws Link Cymru was set up in October 2013 in Lampeter.
Its campaign has attracted 15,000 signatures as well as the support of 32 AMs, five MPs, 47 town and community councils, universities, health boards and both Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion county councils.