Council welcomes re-opening of rail station

Carmarthenshire County Council has welcomed the re-opening of St Clears Railway Station, 50 years after it was closed down.

It comes after the UK Government agreed to fund up to £4.7million which would see its first trains calling in 2024.

The council has been working with St Clears Town Council and lobbying the Government for 10 years and in 2015 funded a feasibility study which demonstrated a strong case for re-opening the station.

St Clears forms an integral part of the council’s 10 Towns initiative, which is designed to boost economic activity in rural communities.

A public meeting earlier this year saw huge support for a station returning to the town with over 1,200 people signing the Next Stop St Clears petition.

Once up and running the station will be part of the West Wales route linking Carmarthen and Haverfordwest once again.

St Clears Railway Station served St Clears between 1854 and 1964. A previous attempt to re-open the station in 1973 was abandoned.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member for transport, Cllr Hazel Evans said: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to help secure this funding, and have worked very closely with St Clears Town Council and the wider community to move forward with this long awaited aspiration. Not only will the new station provide an opportunity to affect real sustainable shift in travel behaviours for those living, working and visiting St Clears and the surrounding areas but it will provide a vital means of accessing employment, education, health and leisure destination. Re-opening the station will enhance growth opportunities as accessibility will be far greater and greener and complement our other sustainable aspirations for the area.”

The project is part of a national strategy to improve transport links.