Timetables from Wales & West trains era and info on liveries desired - plus a question about Fishgaurd services today

[Rhydgaled]

The Motorail service ran from Kensington joining the GWML over the Victoria Branch at Old Oak Common East (that junction no longer exists - it was removed to construct the Eurostar depot although the short tunnel under the West London was retained for one of the depot connections and is still there). The train also picked-up at Reading where additional carflats were attached depending on traffic demands, there were no other commercial stops beyond Reading. The train ran via the Swansea District Line and as far as I can recall it stopped at either Llandeilo Jcn or Llanelli for train crew relief but it is something like 39 years since I travelled on it so I can't be sure of that detail

Thanks for the info.

Cardigan not in Pembrokeshire.

I know, and even considered saying so in my post. Anyway I decided to measure Ceredigion's sole mainline railway on Google Earth and came up with roughly 16.4 miles and only 2 stations, Aberystwyth and Borth. Now, what follows is not really relevent to this topic and is an unrealistic pipe dream but, according to Ceredigion's wikipedia entry (Ceredigion wiki):

The main settlements are Aberaeron, Aberarth, Aberporth, Aberystwyth, Borth, Cardigan, Lampeter, Llanddewi Brefi, Llandysul, Llanilar, Llanrhystud, New Quay, Penparcau and Tregaron.

Aberporth is close to Cardigan, maybe near enough to use Fishguard station for onward travel. Of the rest, Aberarth, Llanrhystud and New Quay all are close to, and have a reletivlly good bus service to, Aberaeron. These and Aberaeron are within bus reach of Aberystwyth or Cardigan, but I doubt many would want to travel much further by bus. In the (very) long term I think this gives quite a large potential catchment for the return of a railway station at Aberaeron on a line from there to Lampeter, as there once was. The question then is where does the railway go from there? The original went southwards to Carmarthen, just missing Llandysul which could be served by a branch from the line to Carmarthen. This would throw the Gwili railway out and perhaps they could get paid enough for the sale of their current line to make a start on the Whitland-Cardigan line, although they would never get enough to do the whole line. Alternativly the Gwili could be left to connect Llandysul and the line from Lampeter would instead head over to the Heart Of Wales line. A problem with leaving a steam railway to provide public transport services is there would have to be a change of policy allowing such railways to run there trains using the existing mainline track into the nearest mainline station (though with their own platform so running locos round the train doesn't block the mainline), the 3rd platform face at Carmarthen is very rarely used and could be used by the Gwili if the bridge across the river was reinstated and a line built alongside the main A road. Likewise there is a bay platform at Whitland with track that needs a repair that could be used if a heritage railway were to be built towards Cardigan. Even if there a line is never built again at either of these two places the change of policy is still an important consideration, for example the West Somerset Railway has track all the way to Taunton station, being allowed to run trains through to there would properly connect it to the national network.

 

This leaves Penarcau, which is almost part of Aberystwyth now anyway, Llanilar and Tregaron, which could be served by re-constructing an old line from Aberystwyth as far as Tregaron (there are difficuties on the approach to Aberystwyth though), Cardigan and Llanddewi Brefi. The Tregaron line could eventually be extended, either via the old route or heading towards Aberaeron, to join to Lampeter-Aberaeron line.

[two tone green]

Just seen in the back of Railway Magazine, Middleton Press have just published a book, Carmarthen to Fishguard. May be worth a look, sorry xannot check it out. Sat in an ali tube at the moment.

[The Stationmaster]

Just seen in the back of Railway Magazine, Middleton Press have just published a book, Carmarthen to Fishguard. May be worth a look, sorry xannot check it out. Sat in an ali tube at the moment.

 

 

I do hope you're not 'driving' or whatever they call it with these modern thingies

[two tone green]

No longer in my ali tube and enjoying the south of France.

 

Have a look here for details

 

http://www.middletonpress.co.uk/details.php?bdetails=978%201%20906008%2066%206&PHPSESSID=da7e7240f71c4dfdbb42fa6eb4fa3b70

[two tone green]

Just ordered the book, will let you know what its like. It will fit into my collection of other local items

[two tone green]

Nice book. Good photos and informative text. It seems to fill gaps in the Railways of Pembrokeshire book which I have as well. Picture of a 150 taken in 2009 in the station at Fishguard Harbour.

 

Looks like Fishguard is not getting its trains according to the Welsh Assembly Government.

 

And they know about transport in Wales.

[Rhydgaled]

Nice book. Good photos and informative text. It seems to fill gaps in the Railways of Pembrokeshire book which I have as well. Picture of a 150 taken in 2009 in the station at Fishguard Harbour.

 

Looks like Fishguard is not getting its trains according to the Welsh Assembly Government.

Yeah, it looks like that, despite support from the local AM, we aren't getting more trains for some time. On the bright side it probablly gives me some time to try and save the Fishguard & Goodwick station building but on the other side probablly too much time.

There are probablly hardlly any other stations with similar heritage arcitechure left on the national network these days, making saving this one fairly important wouldn't you think? I also am thinking there are flaws in the assemblly's thinking, in the first meeting discussing the petition they jummped to the conclusion that Arriva Trains Wales would operate the service and the letter that spelt out "no trains yet" was based on waiting for the re-doubling.

 

The district line, First Great Western (through extension of the Portsmouth - Cardiff) and Open Access operators are all alternative (and maybe prefrabable) solutions that I have found no evidence of the Assemblly considering.

 

As for books I was in Haverfordwest libary the other day and remembered one of your previous recomendations "The Railways Of Pembrokeshire" and asked them to do a search on that title. They have reserved a book with that title for me that apparently was published quite recentlly. When I go and collect it I'll have to see if they have this brand new book too.

[two tone green]

Hello,

 

I have both books at home and you are more than welcome to borrow as you want.

some phots in them of your station which may be of help.

[two tone green]

If the lot in the big propertiy in the bay at Cardif spent less of the tax payers money on themselves there would be more for us to enjoy the benefits from.

 

I mean, take Ieuan Air out of Cardif to Angelsey. GBP800,000 per year out of our pockets to move AM's, it may well be just one AM, to their homes in North Wales.

 

Put that money into local services down our way with the objective one money from the EC and we will be doing well.

[Rhydgaled]

8 hundred thousand pounds subsidy on that flight you say? And they set up the WAG express train too, come on your AMs only need 1 way of travelling North-South and return and the train is almost certainly the better option enviomentally.

 

Anyone have any idea roughly how much subsidy First Great Western would need to extend their Portsmouth - Cardiff service to Fishguard (via the district line) 6 times a day (3 before the current boat train and 3 after, the boat trains would contiune too) with a gap of about 2 hours between each of the 7 trains then running during the day? How much of the 8 hundred thousand pounds that would be saved if they drop the fights would be left for other things after subsidising the train service? enough for moving track close enough to the platform to allow a stop at Wolfscastle?

[Etched Pixels]

Wrong, it is not a Network Rail station, maybe the only mainline station in Britain that isn't. I think it is in fact owned by Stena Line, which is also the only reason I can think of that proposed service enhancements to Fishguard always seem to include re-opening the Fishguard & Goodwick station just a few stone throws away (apart from not having to divert busses to connect with trains). I heard that smoking was permitted at Fishguard Harbour on the internet before though, so I think you are right there.

 

Read carefully - I said 'network rail served'

[Rhydgaled]

Read carefully - I said 'network rail served'

Network Rail don't serve the station (or any other) either (in Fishguard's case that's Arriva Trains Wales's job at the moment).

 

I saw the train at Fishguard without my camera the other day, and just like on all my filming trips it was a class 150 unit not the 158 that's supposed to be booked for it (even Arriva's website has a picture of a Class 37 at Fishguard and if I remeber rightly the caption said "this service is now booked for a 158").

 

Now, this is off-topic, but on Arriva's website under "scenic routes", there is a picture of a 175 in front of a castle and the alt text (that appears when you hover over the image) says "Class 175 Train by Caernarfon Castle". The line to Caernarfon Castle is gone isn't it? so is the image a photoshop? or labled as the wrong castle? It is ages since I went to Caernarfon Castle but looking at Google Earth this second option sounds more likely.

[Edwin_m]

It's Conwy - note the tubular bridge on the right.

[Rhydgaled]

It's Conwy - note the tubular bridge on the right.

Thanks, that's one more question answered.