Support for new railway station to ease town’s ‘chronic’ traffic problems
Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter
A new railway station for a historic Welsh town would alleviate “chronic” traffic congestion and encourage more visitors to its Roman riches, supporters have claimed.
Newport City Council has called for Caerleon to be included in national plans to overhaul public transport by building a series of new stations along the South Wales Main Line.
Caerleon’s station closed to passengers in 1962 but the key infrastructure remains in place, said Cllr Stephen Cocks, who said the extremely high level of public support for the project “almost sounds like a North Korean election” result.
Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, the council leader, said it was a “no-brainer” to back calls for a new station in a town where roads at peak times could be “very busy”.
A station would “ensure Caerleon has the right infrastructure for its current population, let alone its future”, he added.
Five new stations
Five new railway stations could be built along the main line – including three in Newport – in accordance with the Burns Commission’s recommendations to improve the regional travel network after the M4 relief road project was scrapped.
The council motion welcomed those proposals as a “significant investment in regional connectivity” but has now requested Caerleon be included in future plans.
The town is one of Newport’s “jewels in the crown” and a new rail link would be “a huge boost”, said Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for infrastructure.
However, Cllr Matthew Evans, the opposition leader, doubted the project would ease motorway congestion and claimed that problem could only be solved by building the relief road.
He said the council’s Conservative group would support the motion, but noting the many years it took to reopen the line between Newport and Ebbw Vale, he warned councillors “don’t hold your breath” while waiting for a Caerleon station to be completed.
“Long journey”
In response, Caerleon councillor Jason Hughes accepted campaigners had already been on a “long journey” to secure a new station, but said “sometimes you have to stay in the fight and keep going”.
“Caerleon has a history of traffic issues, it’s not a new problem,” he said, adding a new station would play an “integral part” in encouraging visitors.
Cllr Cocks paid tribute to members of TRACS (Towards Restoring A Caerleon Station) for their campaign work and said it was “absolutely essential” to secure the city council’s support for the project if it was to take the next steps.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
About time. Restoring a railway station to Caerleon has made absolute sense for over fifty years. When they opened the new station in Cwmbrân back in the mid-’80s I thought that they’d surely think of doing something similar in Caerleon – but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
Can the council just build it themselves instead of waiting for Whitehall to give Network Rail the nod. It’s just a few concrete blocks and an access road after all.
It’s a bit more complicated than that, but no they can’t. Outside of the Core Valley Lines that were transferred in 2020 the Welsh Government doesn’t have full control of spending because rail isn’t fully devolved.
Obviously NR would need to advise and supervise, as they do with any private development that borders the railway, but the council can do most of the work.
The Romans would have had it up and running by now. Bit of local “forced” labour to help it along, the local “youth” drafted in on a promise of an apprenticeship on the tools…or else. The times of Caerleon to Newport and Cardiff by chariot drastically reduced, even Barry in the summer. If the Romans had invented the steam engine or electric motors a bit sooner Caerleon would have been the centre of civilization. Still time.