Editor

It is now 50 years since the Cambrian Coast Line was put up for closure. At the time of Dr Beeching, a determined effort was made to decimate the rail network in North and Mid Wales.

December 1964 saw the closure of Bangor to Afon Wen, January 1965 closure of Ruabon to Barmouth, February 1965 closure of Aberystwyth to Carmarthen.

In 1971 they came to close the Cambrian Coast Line. The government had a shock. The Welsh people said you will not close our railway. Thomas Savin and all his men who built the line in the 1860s would have been proud to see the efforts made to save their railway which they had worked so hard to build.

I hope people will treasure this line and use it as much as possible. What we need now is a return to the BR days of the 1970s when diesel locomotive hauled excursion trains brought people from all over the country to patronise the Welsh coastal resorts.On some Sundays there were up to four such trains operating in the system. We need more loops (passing places) to enable excursion trains to return and boost the Welsh economy.

Chris Magner Bridgnorth

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