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Fishguard’s railway is a ‘major disappointment’

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Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 10.57.50FISHGUARD has been branded the region’s worst rail performer due to its measly 20 % increase in passengers despite the millions of pounds in renovations and additions which have been invested in the station.

Official statistics from the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) have been analysed by Transport Consultant John Davies, who stated that the 21% increase in rail passengers at Fishguard and Goodwick station is a “major disappointment” due to the Welsh Government’s fight to fund the station’s additional train services.

Despite several Welsh stations seeing passenger growth of more than 200%, Mr Davies also suggested that there should be more improvements along the South Wales main lines due to the relatively small passenger growth in those areas.

He said that the 110 % growth along the Pembroke Dock line reflected the popularity of the twohourly service which was introduced in the station in 1998.

Analysis of the CBT’s recent online map of station usage shows that both the Fishguard Harbour and Fishguard and Goodwick stations have been seen to see-saw between a decrease and a 50-75 % increase in popularity since 1997.

Fishguard and Goodwick station was closed by British Railways when local services between Fishguard and Clarbeston Road were withdrawn on April 6, 1964.

Following the closure of normal passenger trains, the station remained in use for a few more months for workmen’s trains to the Royal Navy Armaments Depot in Trecwn.

Between June 18 1965 and September 18 1980, the station became the terminus of a seasonal motorail service from London. Early photographs of the station show the station building to be considerably shorter than it is today, due to the extension added for the unloading of motorail cars from the train.

The station was also used temporarily in the June of 1982, whilst the railway lines at the Fishguard Harbour station were being moved and re-laid. High speed train services ran through the station until the early 1990s, but services were ceased in 1994.

The reopening of Fishguard and Goodwick station as a railbus interchange was considered by Pembrokeshire County Council for a number of years.

In March 2011, it was announced by Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones of the Welsh Assembly Government that they would provide a subsidy which would allow for an increase in train frequency at the Fishguard and Goodwick station in September 2011 from two trains per day to seven, a service which they wanted to be trialled for three years.

This announcement from the Welsh Assembly prompted a wider governmental search for the railway’s funding which was eventually successfully found, leading to an announcement that the station would then re-open in March 2012.

The re-opening work cost £325,000, which including the lowering and realigning of the old tracks by Network Rail, as well as the clearing of the old derelict timber station building. The Welsh Government spent approximately £1.4m funding five extra trains which run Monday to Saturday.

The North Pembrokeshire Transport Forum (NPTF) campaigned for a number for years for a better stations and improved services. They brought up the fact that the parking at the old station was expensive and would possible deter people from using the rail service.

Hatti Woakes, Secretary of the NPTF, said of Fishguard: “It has the potential to be a hub for so many things – walkers, cyclists, buses – the only thing missing was a decent train service. This is the last piece of the jigsaw, it is wonderful.

“We’re now getting people communing to Carmarthen, which we have never had before. One B&B owners says her business has doubled and the people who stay with her think that the new services are wonderful.

“We feel we’re now linked up with the rest of the world.” The Welsh Government said that the overall positive figures around Wales indicate that its aim of modernising the Welsh rail infrastructure seems to be working well.

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “Our significant investment in this area over a number of years has resulted in growing demand for rail services.”

“We intend to further build on this success when we take over full responsibility for the Wales and Borders rail franchise in 2018. This will give us greater ability to specify services to meet passenger needs across the full franchise area.”

An Arriva Trains Wales spokesperson said: “The healthy growth in passenger figures reflects the continuing popularity of rail travel across our network. Our own records indicate that the growth of overall passenger journeys since the start of the franchise in 2003 has been in excess of 60%.

“However, our franchise was designed for zero passenger growth and a limited fixed fleet for the entirety of its 15-year duration. In partnership with the Welsh Government and the Department for Transport, we have responded to these increases in customer demand.”

Recently, based on figures from the Office of Rail and Road, Arriva Train Wales came thirteenth in a poll of the top twenty significantly late train companies, which could perhaps deter people from using the service.

Between July and September 2015, Arriva had a score of 0.23%, which means that an average of two trains a day are considerably late, arriving between 30 minutes and 119 minutes behind their intended arrival time.

However, Wales’ only train station with falling numbers of passengers was the Conwy Valley line, whose performance had reduced by 40%. Mr Davies indicated that this was due to resulting flood damage and also the introduction of a competing bus service in the area.

The best performer in Wales was Gowerton train station near Swansea, in which there was a 2,100% increase in passengers, perhaps due to the Welsh Government funding a second track and full modernisation of the station back in 2013.

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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