Re: Borderlands AC or DC? was Re: wrexham & shropshire to run


"Chris Tolley" <cjt.7@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4uczvzyu9cye$.yipjhkh6fk9d$.dlg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
HBlack wrote:

It must hurt that there's no feasible route between North and South
Wales except through England.

Swings and roundabouts. It's the mountains that preclude the N-S route,
but it's those same mountains that probably did a lot to help Wales
retain a national identity.

Anyway. let's fantasise for a bit - where might it be possible to find a
way through the mountains?.

The logical place to start would be to reinstate the line from the coast
through Rhuddlan and Denbigh to Corwen - then where, West or East? West
suggests reinstating the line through Dolgellau to join up with the
coast route, and a new chord at Dovey Junction to allow through running
to Aberystwyth. East, OTOH, more or less forces you to go back into
England, even if only just. So, go west as far as Llandrillo, then head
up Cwm Pennant and dig a tunnel to get through to the Eirth Valley to
pick up the route of the old Cambrian near Llangynog. Reinstating
ex-Cambrian tracks and adding in a couple of new junctions could then
get you on to the bit that's still there from Buttington to Caersws.
Then it's southwards on reinstated track from Caersws to Builth Wells,
Talyllyn and on into the existing Valleys network at whichever point
seems best, then on to Cardiff.

The landscape doesn't permit too many other options (on the presumption
that one wouldn't want to run along the coast as it would take people
too far west if Cardiff were their ultimate target.)

But it's never going to happen, is it?

Using lines that used to exist, in 1938 there was a through train on Summer
Saturdays between Treherbert and Aberystwyth, via Pontypridd, Merthyr,
Builth Wells, Rhayader, and Machynlleth - all those lovely junction names:
Pontsticill, Three Cocks, Moat Lane.

In 1963 there was a through train on Summer Saturdays from Swansea to
Pwllheli, via Carmarthen, Lampeter, Aberystwyth and Barmouth - just start it
back at Cardiff, and divert it at Afon Wen up through Caernarfon and you
could have a through train from Cardiff to Bangor.

It would still be a lot quicker to go through England.

Can you still book a through fare from Cardiff to Bangor via Fishguard,
Rosslare, Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead?

Peter


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