Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:08 pm on 20 September 2016.
Something close to my heart, in principle, and others’; I know that. The Carmarthen-Aberystwyth line disappeared as a passenger line in 1964. It was in place, in the main, until 1975. I remember trains coming through Bridgend station having come down from Aberaeron and Newcastle Emlyn on the spur, carrying milk in those days. In an act of utter stupidity, the line was taken up very, very quickly. And, of course, that presents a problem. Some of it’s been reinstated by the Gwili railway.
We think that a substantial part of the permanent way is still intact, that there are, actually, very few gaps there. There are still many bridges in place; one or two are missing. So, that assessment has been made, but it’s also true to say that there will need to be an assessment of the cost benefit of reinstating the track. It’s a substantial cost, running into the billions, and that work will need to be done carefully in terms of seeing whether that line can be reinstated. That work is ongoing. We’ve seen it done elsewhere in the UK. We know that Scotland has done it with the Waverley line, but, as far as this line is concerned, the work will continue so that we have a good understanding of the cost, the practicability and the timescale.