Council Seeks Views On Proposals For New Railway Station And Interchange At Bow Street

Ceredigion Council is seeking the views of residents and stakeholders from Bow Street and surrounding areas, on proposals for a new railway station and public transport facility to be developed at Bow Street at an engagement event to be held on Monday 11 July at Neuadd Rhydypennau between 2 – 7pm. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The proposed scheme follows years of campaigns and is the result of advanced discussions that have been held between Welsh Government, the Mid Wales Rail Implementation Group, Ceredigion Council, and the rail industry. At the event, outline drawings of the development will be on show, as well as staff on hand to answer questions and to receive comments. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The original Bow Street Railway Station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts in the 1960s’ and since then a number of people have been calling for the stop to be reinstated. The new station, if built would be located a short distance south of the original location which is now the site of a builders’ merchants. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

However, the new site offers the opportunity to develop a public transport interchange encompassing a park and ride facility for 100 cars, a layover area for buses and coaches and a cycle parking facility creating a public transport interchange to serve the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Alun Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Carbon Management, said: “This is a very exciting idea and the public have so far shown strong support. We now want to find out exactly what local residents from Bow Street and surrounding communities want from this scheme. We realise the importance of improved transport links for the area, for both inward and outward journeys, and we have developed this Bow Street scheme alongside experts from the Welsh Government and the rail industry to address the main issues.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He adds: “Not only will this scheme provide Bow Street and surrounding communities with a railway station but it can also help alleviate congestion and parking problems in Aberystwyth by providing a parkway type station for those people accessing Aberystwyth from the North and East. People in the surrounding communities won’t need to travel into an already congested Aberystwyth to catch eastbound rail services and – importantly – the new station will also serve the University’s expanding IBERS site at nearby Gogerddan.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The engagement event has been organised to gather views and to answer any questions that attendees may have. The event is open to the public. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​