Madam,

Re the picture in the Cambrian News (23 February) of AM Elin Jones and three other campaigners from Traws Cymru hoping to re-open the railway line between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.

I personally think that they are in cloud cuckoo land, asking Welsh Government to spend £300,000 on a feasibility study and another £750m to install the track and all the bridges and fencing.

The line was used up until February 1965 for passenger travel and up to 1973 for goods. Passenger trains finished going to Newcastle Emlyn in September 1952.

In the summer, you had two steam engines and about 12 carriages carrying passengers up to Butlins, Pwllheli every Saturday, alongside the normal passenger timetable. Bertram Mills circus used the line at one time from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth, and coal and fuel was transported to Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn. New tractors and new machinery were also delivered to Llanybydder and Newcastle Emlyn. All the milk from two milk factories was transported on this line.

Up to 24 trucks of cattle were going from Llandysul mart every other Tuesday. Also, you had feeding stuffs coming to various stations.

In December 1964, the track was washed away near Llanilar but they didn’t have money to repair it then, with all the traffic that was using the line.

They also say that tourists would use the line, but look for instance at New Quay and Aberaeron, with all the tourists that find their way there with no rail link.

Welsh Government and our councils can’t keep up with the work of repairing potholes on our roads and last year was a record for vehicle suspension damage. What about toilets in our villages that they can’t keep open and what about the swimming pool in Llandysul?

I would suggest it would be better to spend this money on those or building a multi-storey car park at Glangwili Hospital as it can take up to an hour and a half to find a parking space there sometimes.

Yours etc,

Glyn Jones, Glantweli-fach, Pencader.

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