Madam,

I write in reply to your article on the topic of the reinstatement of Bow Street Railway Station and some of the negative comments attributed by a single person and an organisation.

Firstly, the proposal put forward is for a ‘transportation hub’ with other forms of public transport accessing the hub to provide an holistic public transport service and not just a rail stop!

Secondly, the ‘public information event’ held on 11 July showed a huge support from all over the catchment area and other organisations for the project, as indeed did the petition undertaken seven years ago to see if this project was a starter in the area.

I have to say I’m disappointed that Mr Hancock was not prepared to look at the wider advantages this project would give to north Ceredigion both economically, educationally and environmentally; he seemed to want to question investment in austere times yet advocated spending money on another multi-storey car park in the town centre.

He is a man of intelligence and should know that monies are earmarked by Welsh Government for particular types of projects and a multi-storey car park would not be one of them!

I now move to the ‘user group’ which has denigrated this new plan as it stands clearly outside the WelTag report on train stops for Bow Street and Carno which was carried out some five years ago specifically looking at the viability of a train stop in each of those locations utilising two-hourly and hourly services.

That report on its own had not moved the possibility of investment in those rail stops up the priority list therefore, in preliminary talks with possible other partners, it was clear that there was a distinct need for a transportation hub for the north of Ceredigion, above Aberystwyth, which would provide significant benefits economically, educationally and environmentally for our county.

To that end, and after a great deal of joint working by officers and council members, Ceredigion County Council accepted a motion that I proposed to look into this project more fully.

Welsh Government provided funds, and a thank you at this point to Elin Jones AM who lobbied the transport minister hard for a feasibility study with a view to progressing this much-needed facility for the future prosperity of our county.

I am sorry that a similar position does not yet exist for Carno, as they have been after a train stop for a considerable amount of time.

But this would have been a lost opportunity if we had not expanded the initial proposal to a transportation hub and these nuggets don’t come around that often, especially here in rural Wales.

Yours etc,

Paul Hinge, county councillor, Tirymynach ward, Bow Street, Aberystwyth.

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