Madam,

Regardless of whether the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen railway line is ever rebuilt, it may have already arrived at least for some of us in Llanfarian! The recent discussion in the Cambrian News about the project prompted me to have a look at the Scoping Plan. If you live anywhere near this proposed line, I recommend that you have a look too! (http://www.trawslink-cymru.org.uk) A ‘diversion’ could be coming through your back yard!

I live on the north side of Lôn Tyllwyd, in Llanfarian. Some of us have chosen to live here for the peace, quiet and beauty of the surroundings. Although the maps are not very clear, page 17 of the Scoping Plan seems to show the most direct of the three alternate ‘diversions’ of the railway line for Llanfarian literally running through our back gardens, within yards of our houses! If this were to go ahead, many homes along Lôn Tyllwyd would clearly be ‘blighted’.

Even if this railway was never built, damage has probably already been done to property values. Years could now pass until a final decision on the project is reached and in the meantime who would want to buy a property with even the possibility of a ‘heavy’ railway, literally, in the back yard? Many other homes are likely to have been similarly affected along the other two possible diversions around Llanfarian, as well as in other places along the proposed route.

Re-opening this line seems generally a good idea, (though I can’t personally see how it could ever pay for itself in our car-owning society). But not at any cost! As a ‘Nimby’ in a very real sense, I appeal to organisers to urgently re-draw these plans so that, even at this early stage, any ‘diversions’ along the proposed railway line would be kept well away from people’s houses along the whole route. If this is not possible, then this is just one more reason to call the viability of the whole project into question.

Yours etc

Glyn Ivens

Lôn Tyllwyd

Llanfarian.