Random Stuff!!

[Jerry]

That's a shame! The competition would've been good for the route.

Interestingly in 2023 the service was planned to be extended to Carmarthen, giving West Wales a direct service to London but the main reason for it being rejected was that the UK government might have had to pay for it due to COVID-19. So much for leveling up. Grand Union are going to consult their lawyer's.

Trains: Plans for new Cardiff to London services hit buffers

Regulator dismisses bid by Grand Union Trains to run new services from Cardiff and Carmarthen.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Interestingly in 2023 the service was planned to be extended to Carmarthen, giving West Wales a direct service to London but the main reason for it being rejected was that the UK government might have had to pay for it due to COVID-19. So much for leveling up. Grand Union are going to consult their lawyer's.

Trains: Plans for new Cardiff to London services hit buffers

Regulator dismisses bid by Grand Union Trains to run new services from Cardiff and Carmarthen.

www.bbc.co.uk

Let's hope that they are successful if they apply again, perhaps with amended proposals.

The open access Euston-Blackpool service planned by one of Arriva's open-access companies has now been withdrawn as a project. I originally thought it was waiting for Covid to settle down before beginning.

However, Arriva's open access rail company Grand Central has been operating routes to Kings Cross from Sunderland and Bradford for over ten years. They are temporarily suspended because of the lockdown but did operate last year between previous lockdowns. This suggests that such a company can be successful amidst the UK's franchised rail system.

 

[Jerry]

Let's hope that they are successful if they apply again, perhaps with amended proposals.

I personally wonder if they maybe better off marketing it more as a Carmarthen to London service rather than a Cardiff to London. Might get more support from WG then even if it's just a lobbying letter from them to the Department for transport. It's interesting as the Carmarthen to Swansea stretch would surely come under the WG?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I personally wonder if they maybe better off marketing it more as a Carmarthen to London service rather than a Cardiff to London. Might get more support from WG then even if it's just a lobbying letter from them to the Department for transport. It's interesting as the Carmarthen to Swansea stretch would surely come under the WG?

I think that the WG supports the venture anyway. On its website Grand Union speaks of the 'Welsh Government and other stakeholders'. It seems to be the idea that the service would compete with an existing government-franchised (subsidised really) service between Cardiff and Swansea and if it needed UK government support because of Covid then public money would be subsidising two competing services.

A delay whilst a further application is made might work in favour of it if the effects of Covid are clearly on the wane by then.

Home - Grand Union Trains Ltd

Railways to our Core At Grand Union we are passionate about Britain’s railways. We are committed to the traditional values of providing a high-quality customer service and a comfortable journey experience at a fair price. Find out more Grand Union is proposing

www.granduniontrains.co.uk

 

[Jerry]

I think that the WG supports the venture anyway. On its website Grand Union speaks of the 'Welsh Government and other stakeholders'. It seems to be the idea that the service would compete with an existing government-franchised (subsidised really) service between Cardiff and Swansea and if it needed UK government support because of Covid then public money would be subsidising two competing services.

A delay whilst a further application is made might work in favour of it if the effects of Covid are clearly on the wane by then.

Home - Grand Union Trains Ltd

Railways to our Core At Grand Union we are passionate about Britain’s railways. We are committed to the traditional values of providing a high-quality customer service and a comfortable journey experience at a fair price. Find out more Grand Union is proposing

www.granduniontrains.co.uk

Ah i didn't realise they were a stakeholder!
Hopefully when covid is in the wane they'll let the service operate.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Really hope it can be sorted and approved. Rail fares are crazy as we know after covid i feel it should be possible to sustain both operators.

Despite the cost i do find GWR provide a smooth and efficient service Cardiff to London.

 

[Jerry]

Do you think we can have it back now?

New claim that Stonehenge stood for 400 years in Wales before being moved

They claim it began its life in the Preseli Hills

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Jerry]

GWR boss calls for electrification to Swansea and faster train speeds in Wales​

GWR boss calls for electrification to Swansea and faster train speeds in Wales

Mark Hopwood said his trains travel at 125mph but cannot do so in Wales

www.business-live.co.uk

 

[geoff]

Canarian Airways have registered their first plane, Airbus 319, EC-NMO, according to the article in Simple Flying it is expected to be offering hotel accomodation packages alongside flight only.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

GWR boss calls for electrification to Swansea and faster train speeds in Wales​

GWR boss calls for electrification to Swansea and faster train speeds in Wales

Mark Hopwood said his trains travel at 125mph but cannot do so in Wales

www.business-live.co.uk

Trains on sections of the route in England can reach speeds of 125mph. However, once on the Welsh side of the Severn Tunnel they have to operate at average speeds well below 100mph.

The reason the UK government gave for axing the proposed electrification of the Bristol TM via Bath to Paddington route, after tens of millions had been spent on preparation works including the closure of Box Tunnel for six weeks, was that trains could not operate at 125 mph west of Chippenham yet the same applied and still applies to the section of the journey between the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff but that was not chopped.

With the whole electrification of the Great Western Mainline starting from London over budget and running overtime, there were even, at one stage, concerns that it would only go as far as Bristol.

It was a bit more complex than that. The electrification timeline was:

July 2009 Labour government considered electrifying Paddington-Bristol TM via Bath in a first phase and later the section between Wootton Bassett junction (west of Swindon where the South Wales and Bristol TM lines split) and Swansea.

July 2009 However, the announcement later that month stated that the Great Western from Paddington to Swansea as well as to Bristol would be electrified, plus Didcot-Oxford, Reading-Newbury and the section between Bristol TM and Bristol Parkway. The entire programme was to be completed within eight years!

May 2010 New Conservative/Lib Dem government placed all major capital expenditure under review including the Great Western electrification scheme. Extensions from Didcot to Swindon, Bath, Bristol and to South Wales would be dependent on a further assessment

November 2010 Government gave the go-ahead for electrifying the section between Didcot and Oxford and Newbury to Paddington.

March 2011 Government gave the go-ahead for electrification of Didcot-Bristol TM, Didcot-Cardiff and Bristol TM-Bristol Parkway

July 2012 Government announced that Cardiff-Swansea would be electrified

November 2016 Government announced that electrification of the section between Bristol TM and west of Chippenham via Bath would be axed, together with Didcot-Oxford

July 2017 Government announced that electrification of Cardiff-Swansea would be axed

In summary, the South Wales main line between Paddington and Cardiff has been electrified together with a section of the main line to the South West via Castle Cary as far as Newbury, Berkshire, plus a section of Brunel's Paddington-Bristol TM main line between Wootton Bassett junction and Chippenham, Wiltshire.

At present no indication has been given by central government as to when or even if the abandoned electrification plans will be reinstated let alone extended to other areas in Wales and South West England.

 

[Jerry]

I find it very interesting to see how transport can show the differences in thinking about Wales in general.
Conservatives: build roads in and out too England
Labour: more focus on local transport
Plaid: connect Wales internally with trains

'Union Highways' into Wales among plans to 'extinguish dangerous flame' of Welsh independence

Building ‘Union Highways’ into Wales are among the measures proposed by Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in order to “extinguish the dangerous flame” of the Welsh independence movement. In an article for ConserativeHome he recommends “large scale projects” to “unblock” the M4, A40 and...

t.co

 

[aviatorconcorde]

I find it very interesting to see how transport can show the differences in thinking about Wales in general.
Conservatives: build roads in and out too England
Labour: more focus on local transport
Plaid: connect Wales internally with trains

'Union Highways' into Wales among plans to 'extinguish dangerous flame' of Welsh independence

Building ‘Union Highways’ into Wales are among the measures proposed by Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in order to “extinguish the dangerous flame” of the Welsh independence movement. In an article for ConserativeHome he recommends “large scale projects” to “unblock” the M4, A40 and...

t.co

The answer is: all 3.

 

[Jerry]

First Minister is calling for Home Rule for Wales. No details but I suspect his version is full autonomy within the UK (should mean control of APD as well)
rather than the Irish Free State version in 1922 which became a Dominion which has independent country status. Would be a step forward but can't see Westminster going for it myself.

First Minister Mark Drakeford demands 'home rule' for Wales

First Minister will use Welsh Labour spring conference speech to call for a stronger devolution settlement

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

First Minister is calling for Home Rule for Wales. No details but I suspect his version is full autonomy within the UK (should mean control of APD as well)
rather than the Irish Free State version in 1922 which became a Dominion which has independent country status. Would be a step forward but can't see Westminster going for it myself.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/...com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wales_main

Sounds like 'DevoMax'. If the UK government is pushed into a corner regarding Scottish independence demands it might offer DevoMax to Scotland in an attempt to ward off the independence movement, in which case DevoMax might also be offered to Wales and Northern Ireland. It would still leave the question of what to do about England.

As to APD, the Welsh government has said that it would institute an environmental assessment to decide how it would use its APD powers if devolved to it. Does anyone really think that it would follow Scotland's example and keep APD levels the same because of the environmental issues? The mood music coming from all Welsh pro-APD devolution politicians in recent years is that the tax would be reduced or abolished in order to improve CWL's prospects and the country's economy.

Given that the WG wants to take on displaced flights from Bristol Airport if that airport is not allowed to grow beyond 10 mppa (vide its submission to North Somerset council's planning portal) I foresee an environmental assessment into APD effects being no more than a sham, with the decision already taken that APD would be reduced or abolished. I'm not saying APD should not be reduced or abolished, merely that I abhor political manoeuvring that shows governments taking the public for fools.

 

[geoff]

On the other hand, in a pre-recorded speech shown on BBC News at lunchtime today. the First Minister said that if Labour are returned to power in Wales, it will become totally dependant on green energy, and the environment will become a priority. As energy policy is decided by Westminster, I don't how this is going to take place ,he certainly seems to be going along the independence route at the moment, perhaps he is trying to put pressure on the Conservatives in Westminster. It might change if Labour were to win the next Westminster election.

 

[Jerry]

I suppose technically we have a certain amount of Home Rule now, i guess it depends as how you view Wales. It seems to me that people (especially the ones in charge at Westminster) don't see England as separate but that the UK is essentially like a Greater England and i think until that changes you'll probably not get an England only parliament but just more devolution to places like Manchester, Yorkshire and London as long as the UK stays together. With Wales and Labour mentioning Home Rule it does show that they might be slightly worried about their voters as they tend to fall back on this form of soft nationalism to combat Plaid Cymru, realistically they are in no position to deliver essentially full autonomy.

I can't see the WG not at the least changing APD, i could see a big reduction in what it is now at the least with maybe more tiers based on distance or geography to kind of satisfy the environmental side.

 

[Jerry]

On the other hand, in a pre-recorded speech shown on BBC News at lunchtime today. the First Minister said that if Labour are returned to power in Wales, it will become totally dependant on green energy, and the environment will become a priority. As energy policy is decided by Westminster, I don't how this is going to take place ,he certainly seems to be going along the independence route at the moment, perhaps he is trying to put pressure on the Conservatives in Westminster. It might change if Labour were to win the next Westminster election.

Problem is the chance of Labour winning in Westminster isn't high and even then there's no guarentee they would be any different from the Conservative government in what powers they give out, Wales produces 50% more energy than it consumes which it doesn't receive a penny for so i can't see Westminster giving Wales powers over energy production and risking the Welsh government taxing it. Though i wouldn't be surprised if Labour in Wales were more quiet about extra powers if there was a UK Labour government.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

First Minister is calling for Home Rule for Wales. No details but I suspect his version is full autonomy within the UK (should mean control of APD as well)
rather than the Irish Free State version in 1922 which became a Dominion which has independent country status. Would be a step forward but can't see Westminster going for it myself.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/...com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wales_main

Sounds more like devolution max/federalism to me.

This is clearly a ploy to draw Indy Curious voters back in who may vote Plaid Cymru. It’s smart really, as he is acting now to prevent ending up like the Labour Party in Scotland. Mark has to tread carefully on the issue as many Labour voters despite not liking Boris Johnson are fiercely pro union.

I think eventually, to save the union WM hand will be forced to do federalism or devolution Max for Wales and Scotland. It isn’t going to survive in this form. They’d do well to get rid of the house of lords at the same time as that’s something all voters Plaid, Conservative, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrat can all agree on is a joke!

If the tories don’t do federalism/Devomax as a last roll of the dice to stop the UK breaking up then they really are more stupid then i ever thought!

 

[Jerry]

This is clearly a ploy to draw Indy Curious voters back in who may vote Plaid Cymru.

It's classic Welsh Labour. Bit of soft nationalism to try and counter Plaid Cymru. It's worked in the past but the difference is now that Plaid will have independence on their manifesto, YesCymru is active promoting the message of independence and there's a Conservative government who have actively sought to bring back powers from Wales to Westminster via the Internal Market Bill and the prosperity fund where it'll be Westminster that makes the decisions on funding for projects not Cardiff.
With the current government It's more likely that they'll seek to regain more powers for Westminster not give them up. Labour will be in no position to deliver full autonomy/Home Rule/DevoMax/Federalism and there's no guarantee a UK Labour government would deliver it either or be able to deliver.
The St David's day poll will be interesting!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many congratulations to Wales on winning the Triple Crown today. I hadn't realised that Wales were in that position after only three rounds of the Six Nations.

I didn't see any of the game on the telly but the report I've just read tells me the win and the Triple Crown were richly deserved. There were apparently a couple of controversial refereeing decisions today but that goes with the territory and they usually even out over time.