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| Lein Amlwch crossing the Cefni |
The Anglesey Central Railway (Lein Amlwch in Welsh) which connects the port of Amlwch via Llangefni to the North Wales Coast Line at Gaerwen has been defunct as a passenger service since 1964 -- though freight services continued up until 1993 to serve Octel.
Supporters have been campaigning for years for the line to be restored and, with the possibility of Wylfa B on the horizon, these calls have recently carried an additional impetus. Consequently Anglesey County Council will be debating issues relating to the possible reopening of the line this afternoon at 2pm. All supporters of Anglesey Central Railway are asked to attend the Council Chamber in Llangefni to show support.
33 comments:
Would be useful in transporting criminals to the new Rhosgoch Prison.....that again never got built!!!
Only on Anglesey would there be any doubt - and so much delay- on reopening a branch line; as someone once said: if this line was in England, it would have been opened years ago.
The sheer cost of restoring this line would surely be prohibitive in the current economic climate. I believe that all the track would need to be relaid in addition to strengthening bridges and junctions which have fallen into disrepair since the Octel trains stopped running along the line. And to what end would the line need to be opened? Does anyone really believe that there would be enough demand for commuting passengers to sustain such a line between Amlwch and Gaerwen? I doubt it. As far as tourists are concerned, I cannot see the attraction of the line in competition with other lines in Gwynedd such as the Welsh Highland Railway which runs through the maginficent Snowdonia range soon to be connected at Porthmadoc to the Ffestiniog Railway. How would this line serve the proposed Wylfa B? The line goes nowhere near the area. Personally I can see much more demanding projects to spend so much money on when we are staring down the barrel of a huge hike in our council taxes..
wHERE DOES GWR STAND ON THIS ISSUE...HAS HE BEEN SUPPORTING THE CAMPAIGN.........??
Putting aside the current economic woes, I think there is a strong case to be made for the reopening of the line, if for the economic benefit for Amlwch alone.
Of course it will cost money, but doesn't everything, and not all the monies would come from the 'ratepayer'. In example, the bridges on the line, I take it are still the responsibility of Railtrack. If a credable body is willing to take from them the futrue responsiblity of bridges they will make a substancial contribution toward the improvement of the bridges.
Finally it could be done in phases, and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I think we are well into the journey already thanks to Mr Walter Glyn Jones and friends
Can I suggest that instead of refering it to as Lein Amlwch we say Rheilffordd Ganolog Ynys Môn. Or ortherwise it may be confused with another us of lein - online as in Amlwch Online.
To finish random information in Estonain 'lein' means 'mourning'
Network rail will bear the cost of clearing the line as I understand it; most bridges have surveyed as serviceable
A good idea but I believe it should be part of a wider scheme.
What is really needed is a system like the Manchester Metro - with a similar fare structure - running Holyhead-Amlwch-Llangefni-Llanfair PG then up the rail line via all stops back to Holyhead. two or four trains, running continually, half going clockwise, half going anti-clockwise. That way it enables people to get affordable transport from one population centre to the other for employment & retail purposes. At the moment there are significant blackspots of unemployment where people simply cannot afford to take jobs because they cannot afford to get to them.
We have to be realistic, a lot of the jobs that will be crated at Wylfa B are going to pay no more than Tescos or the port do - 13.5K-16K. How are people in Holyhead supposed to afford to work there? How are people in Amlwch supposed to be able to afford to work in Holyhead?
A line from Amlwch to Valley, I wonder if something like that has been thought about before ?
According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglesey_Central_Railway
"The idea of a local railway was still of interest to the people of Anglesey. A public meeting was held in Llangefni on 5 July 1858, to popularise the idea of building a railway leaving the main line at Gaerwen, running north to Amlwch, west to Cemaes Bay, then south through Llanrhyddlad to rejoin the main line at Valley. This ambitious scheme did not gain enough support to proceed, although some landowners offered to exchange land for shares"
Today we saw an almost unanimous decision by the Full Council to support the reopening of the railway line.
It will be opened.
150 class units already been earmarked for the run ,
from what has been mentioned by some in the rail industry that it will be up and running for the 2012winter timetable .from llandudn jct to llangefni ,calling at conway ,penmaenmawr,llanfairfechan.bangor ,llanfaip pg ,gaerwen, and llangefni .
Fat Albert will be the Railway King, Ieuan will be now known as Box car joskin.,
Fat Albert and jump on everyone else's Band Wagon Ieuan played no part in helping to bring about the monumentality decision made yesterday to support the reopening of the railway. But you can bet your bottom dollar they will be there to take the glory with other no-starters.
And the planning permission ??????
The issue of the Planning Permission is simple if the Council want it they have got it, if someone else wants it then all doors are closed, and all hell breaks loose to stop you from getting it.Planning permissions are valuable assets and shouldn't be thwarted, unless of course you live in Anglesey.
GWR has got the contract to knock up sheds to be used as buffets on the station(s), His cronies are getting some practice in, for a menu for travellers.
Corned Beef Bechdan £1
Bechdan Gaws £1
Bechdan Cachu tarw priceless
Bechdan Saim 10p
The list is endless
He has already collared his crew to get the franchise for the booze licence. All the bechdans and beer you can drink, £ 10.. AND IF YOU GET PISSED BY THE TIME THE TRAIN GETS TO LLANERCHYMEDD..YOUR OFF!
GET OFF MY TRAIN!
The Dragon train running on a line of desperation and despair, fed on falsehoods and ignorance to cover up and hide the destitution, depravity and the destruction of the people of Anglesey by a railroad baron called Anglesey County Council..
That comment has a certain ring of truth to it, the scenery may be breathtaking, the open countryside, sheep, trees, blue skies, birds flying, then the train will pull into a town, and along comes reality, the boarded up shops, the factories for sale, the social deprevation, the unemployed, riding in the box cars similar to the hobbos in the depression era of America, bumming fags and drinks, beggars lining the streets, the alcoholics, the druggies, the social deprevation, and then they will go back to where they came from..I went on the Dragon Train on Anglesey, they'll say, did you like it? I thought I was in Poland.
nice comments from some ,
trains that will be running on the line will be operated by arriva trains wales ,
the crewing of the trains will initially be by llandudno jct depot (as thats where the daily service will start and finish from)
cross depot cover will be provided by holyhead depot ,
"beggars lining the streets, the alcoholics, the druggies, the social deprevation"
And that's just the councillors
At least it will make it easier for the builders of Wylfa to live off-island.
I predict an epic failure of intentions resulting in an expensive white elephant.
"And that's just the councillors"
He he. Very good.
If the Council is behind it, Network Rail do what the lease agreement will say they will do, and people, for once on this island, support it enthusiastically and keep going until it all comes together, this will not be a white elephant. Witness the number of realtively well-off retired and holidaying folk at Pringle in Llanfair PG who would jump on a steam train at the adjacent station with the click of a finger if they had the chance.
We've all become too willing to think there's no hope. There is. If we try.
There's two hope's in this world Bob Hope and No Hope. The railway line will be very good for the people, a faster means to get away from this barren economic wasteland, fact.
Gar's Buffet and Bar will do a roaring trade, the sheds may be a bit dodgy especially if they have been recycled from Wylfa, but who cares?
IWJ will be in charge as usual, taking credit for anything "positive" but keeping clear of any negative flack.
The only problem I have with the Railway line opening is simple, will the taffia be involved, will they be skimming grant money, will they have their cut before anything happens?
The Dragon train...from Llandudno to Amlwch...fantastic.
Driver Ieuan Wyn Jones
Footplate Albert Owen
Conductor Gareth Winston
Platform Guard Clive Mcgregor
Station Master David Bowles
Toilet Attendant Carl Sargeant
Mop man in toilets Paddy Gibbons
Ticket Office Goronwy Parry
Crazy old passenger shouting obscenities at passengers Bob Parry
We stood in awe as the steam train flowed past
How we asked does it go so fast
All this because some people had a dream
And the support of an ever ready team
Some said it was wrong but they where fools
They must be as I say mules.
"The Dragon train"
You missed out one very important character in your scenario.
Box Car Bertha. Lynn Ball.
Box Car Bertha Lynn Ball, an excellent suggestion, I had considered her being the face behind the tea urn, but her status as being the belle of the box car is worthy of her stature!
Box Car Bertha Lynn Ball, an excellent suggestion, I had considered her being the face behind the tea urn, but her status as being the belle of the box car is worthy of her stature!
Box Car Bertha Lynn Ball, an excellent suggestion, I had considered her being the face behind the tea urn, but her status as being the belle of the box car is worthy of her stature!
Don't forget one of the most important jobs. What about giving the position of the Fat Controller to Cllr Barrie Durkin?
If you put him on the rota he wouldn't turn up, without a tape recorder, and then he'd deny working there!
Putting Bazza in a railway overall, and let him ride the footplate would be like an episode of Cassey Jones and the cannon ball express, nice memories it would trigger but painful to watch, " Watch out Cassey, there's Indians about!"
Yeah I know, them redskins are in the Council with bows and arrows!
That's it boys and girls it's about time WE had a good laugh.
What with he Toilet Attendant and Box Car up the track with a gang of volunteer Plate Layers we'll never get home tonight. Got to go now the Station Masters on the war path . WE think he's sacked someone today already, the words out that it's that new bloke CM?
Talking about DB. They say he was seen this morning at Lime St Railway Station Liverpool, getting into Liverpool City Council's chauffeur drive roller. someone said he might be going after some small job with them? Let all hope he get's it.
I'm sure LB will give him a glowing reference if not JAJ will.
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