Rail investment
I was delighted to hear the announcement of £220m worth of funding aimed at easing congestion on the Cardiff Valleys rail network.
The Network Rail investment, along with funding from the Welsh Government, is aimed at increasing seats on trains during busy times.
As Caerphilly Observer readers may know, I have this year taken up the issue of overcrowding from Aber station to Cardiff in the morning peak after a complaint from a constituent.
Arriva Trains Wales told me it that it could not increase capacity on the busy service because it does not have enough trains.
I expect Arriva Trains to ensure there are the rolling stock available to take advantage once this three year scheme – which will replace signs, track and points – is complete.
I’m very pleased hat the long-needed railway station at Energlyn, which is in the Penyrheol ward I represent on Caerphilly council, will be built and opened. It has been on the cards for more than a decade.
The station will prove very popular among residents in Energlyn, Churchill Park and Penyrheol and encourage many more travellers to leave their cars at home for both work and leisure travel.
I’ve said previously that the scheme will need to carefully consider parking and traffic implications for residents living in Llwyn Onn Street and Llwyn Onn Close.
It’s also great news that new platforms will be built at Caerphilly and Tirphil stations. All this investment is leading to a new age of the train.
Of course, the work by Network Rail will also pave the way for the electrification of the Valleys network, which take rail travel to a new and exciting level.
The Big Cheese
I mentioned in my last column that I was looking forward to the Big Cheese and it really lived up to all expectations.
The weather was great and Saturday, in particularly, was packed, with an estimated 80,000 people visiting over the three days. It was really buzzing.
There was something for everyone and friends from Cardiff who went on the Sunday told me the variety of activities easily out-did anything put on in the capital. They were particularly impressed with the quality in the food tent, although there were only three stalls selling cheese. I hope we will see more next year as there are some wonderful Welsh cheeses.
Caerphilly is leading the way and long may it continue.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East
christ if this guy is an AM then surely he knows arriva tendered for the franchise for a set amount of trains and WAG has to pay more for extra carriages over and above the franchise agreement
Well said Kev, Arriva Trains Wales promised when they signed the contract with the WAG that they would provide new rolling stock for the Valley Lines, but that promise has been broken and i'm aware that the elected AM for Caerphilly, Jeff Cuthbert, has taken up the case directly with Arriva Trains in response to complaints from constituents.
I also noted that in the Wed Aug 8th edition of the Campaign newspaper that there is an article headlined "Rise in rail use" which states that this is a thumbs-up for the Valley rail service. I wonder whether the PR Dept of Arriva Trains wrote this article. Most pasengers who use the line have no choice as to whether they use the line to get to work, i wonder whether they were asked their opinion on the state of the rolling stock?, i suspect they weren't
You shouldnt blame Lindsay for the atrocious service on the Rhymney Line its been like that since BR days.