Madam,

I am not sure whether your correspondent Tony Jones (letter, last week) has actually read the Scoping Report on the reopening of the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway line, published by The Welsh Government just before Christmas. I suspect not. A copy can be downloaded at http://www.trawslinkcymru.org.uk/

Several of his statements are incorrect. The cost of reopening the whole route (56 miles) is estimated as “up to £750m”, not just for “a tunnel under Pendinas”. The tunnel under Pendinas (just one of many options for how to return the line into Aberystwyth) is given as up to £100m. At £750m this works out at £13.4m per mile for the entire line.

If you think that is expensive, look at some of the costs of recent (and planned) road schemes: Tenby Bypass £68m for five miles (£13.6m per mile); Port Talbot Harbour Way £107m for three miles (£35.6m per mile!). And don’t even think about the Heads of The Valleys Road, over £800m spent so far and still on-going. Then there is the Newport M4 Black Route - £1 billion-plus for about 14 miles.

Vast sums are spent on roads and all that does is increase the amount of traffic which, in turn, clogs them up again; moreoever, it is not a “green” solution. Rail passenger (and freight) use continues to grow, as confirmed by this recent statement from The Office of Rail Regulation: “Passenger rail usage has steadily increased in the last ten years with growth across all measures. Additional train services, revised timetables, attractive offers and deals facilitating cheaper travel, major schemes involving redesign and improvements to stations, and the countries’ growing economy in general have all contributed to the increase in rail usage over the years. Time-tabled train kilometres have increased in each of the last 10 years to meet the increasing demand for rail travel.”

To date the Traws Link Cymru petition to reopen the line has attracted over 11,000 signatures, plus cross party support from MPs and AMs, from town and county councils, from the Hywel Dda Health Board, from the universities, and from a range of local and regional organisations. There has been very little in the way of adverse comments. All can see the economic, social and green benefits of getting the line reopened.

Yours etc

Nigel Bird

Tregaron.