two tone green Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 This is not good. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3193813/Railway-bridge-used-150-years-close-cost-cutting-measure.html One of my top five places on this planet. It cannot be closed to us two legged and two wheeled users. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powerhaul 70 Pey Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I love Barmouth. We have been every year for the last few years now and i didnt know until this years visit that you could walk over the bridge. While the missus and kids Had fish n Chips i went half way down the bridge to get some pictures of a 158 unit crossing the bridge. It would be a shame if this happened. Beautiful place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
exet1095 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I was always happy to pay the toll. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kintbury jon Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Is it now free to cross? The story implied this. Surely if 100,000 people cross it, with a £30,000 rent, charging people £1 to cross would cover the costs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andania 213 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I was always happy to pay the toll. No doubt, even a suggestion of re-introducing the tolls would cause as much uproar as the postulated closure, but IMO, if going back to tolls would keep it open, surely that'd be a better option than losing it entirely, as I suspect once shut, neglect would soon put the footpath beyond what would be deemed as economical to repair, and it'd never get re-opened. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekl Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Is it now free to cross? The story implied this. Surely if 100,000 people cross it, with a £30,000 rent, charging people £1 to cross would cover the costs? And some - about £70,000 "profit" - but from that comes the cost of manning and maintaining the toll booth(s), administering the money collected and, no doubt, some additional charge for the out source "partner" to run it all. It does occur to me that maintaining the bridge to enable 60 or 70 tonne trains to cross it must be the lion's share of the cost and the footpath cannot exactly be a big deal money wise - is NR into a little profiteering here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kintbury jon Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Perhaps NR could take over running it? Cheap day return Barmouth - Mawfa. Train one way, walk the other? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
two tone green Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Perhaps NR could take over running it? Cheap day return Barmouth - Mawfa. Train one way, walk the other? Even done that with a bike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 11, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 11, 2015 A public relations disaster in the making, it would seem. I do wonder, though, whether the council have actually seriously engaged with NR with regard to negotiating the contribution they make. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branksome71B Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Nice to see a bit of " creative journalism", the actual distance (via the free to walkers Toll Bridge/road at Penmaenpool) from Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth is under 13 miles. However the idea of walking along the A496 with it's blind summits and tight bends with virtually no pavements sends shivers down the spine. Hopefully, common sense will prevail. Perhaps a small increase in parking charges in the Gwynedd Council area could pay the access fee for the bridge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cary hill Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 As one of the comments on the Mail story says "All the joy is being sucked out of life in Austerity Britain, bit by bit" - this is just another (small) example. Thank you George. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiderHead Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 No surprise that the local councillor took the opportunity to make a party political point rather than finding a solution. I mean why bother getting the job done when you can have a whine instead. Anyone know who closed the toll booths? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatofludham Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Gwynedd Council closed the toll booths as it was costing more to collect the tolls than they took in money. I'd urge caution in the reaction to this story. What has prompted this is a consultation by Gwynedd Council into stopping paying the £30k per annum rent that NR charge Gwynedd to use the footpath, not that the Council are closing the bridge per se. I suspect Gwynedd are flying a kite with a view to either Network rail reducing their rent, the Welsh Government picking up the tab as part of the Wales Coastal Path which the bridge forms part of, or Barmouth Town Council taking on the responsibility. Given the reaction locally to the idea (which I suspect is also part of the plan) I don't think this is over by a long shot, and the Daily Wail has as usual got hold of the local Cambrian Chipwrap article and twisted it to suit their own political agenda. Gwynedd is Plaid Cymru controlled after all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Gwynedd Council closed the toll booths as it was costing more to collect the tolls than they took in money. I'd urge caution in the reaction to this story. What has prompted this is a consultation by Gwynedd Council into stopping paying the £30k per annum rent that NR charge Gwynedd to use the footpath, not that the Council are closing the bridge per se. I suspect Gwynedd are flying a kite with a view to either Network rail reducing their rent, the Welsh Government picking up the tab as part of the Wales Coastal Path which the bridge forms part of, or Barmouth Town Council taking on the responsibility. Given the reaction locally to the idea (which I suspect is also part of the plan) I don't think this is over by a long shot, and the Daily Wail has as usual got hold of the local Cambrian Chipwrap article and twisted it to suit their own political agenda. Gwynedd is Plaid Cymru controlled after all. I agree that it sounds like a typical council move to shift the cost to another body! Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatofludham Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 One other factor to bear in mind when reading this is we have Welsh Government elections next year. I'm sure the Plaid ruling politburueau at Caernarfon won't have missed there is a chance to make a big political stink out of the story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Very sad times we live in.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted August 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2015 If you believe everything you read in the press word for word that makes you a ......... ....... delete those which do not apply It's sabre-rattling. NR own and operate the bridge and may open or close it as they deem fit and levy a commercial fee for its use by any traffic. Train operators pay track access charges and the pedestrian walkway attracts an appropriate fee for its ongoing use. There are other options than closure. Loss of amenity would be a fair call and to expect walkers to hike an additional 13 miles by road which is some places poses a significant risk to their safety, not to mention adding around 4 hours to their trip time, is in my view unacceptable. Perhaps they should install a bridge troll to extract largesse from walkers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Take a portion of Network Rail . Add a smaller measure of Welsh local council. . Blend with some Senedd . Season heavily with Daily Mai . A recipe for disaster.l Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2015 You'll be telling us its just a great big onion next Brian! Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Call me cynical but the whole report seems to be one hyperbole after another. “Austerity” is the buzzword of 2015. I like the Troll idea, however, Rick. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2015 Take a portion of Network Rail . Add a smaller measure of Welsh local council. . Blend with some Senedd . Season heavily with Daily Mai . A recipe for disaster.l I'm not currently persuaded that NR is an active ingredient in this particular mix. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted August 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 12, 2015 I'm not currently persuaded that NR is an active ingredient in this particular mix. Not least because they would be Rheilffordd Rhwydwaith in that part of the world Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 You'll be telling us its just a great big onion next Brian! Phil Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Friday night disco at the local youth club Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 12, 2015 Not least because they would be Rheilffordd Rhwydwaith in that part of the world I think I rather like the Welsh version! Makes us sound like one of the Great Little Trains of Wales! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith George Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 What is the disaster pending. ? There is a lot of disasters in this world that would put this in prospective. Keith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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