Completed petition Don't take Neath off the main railway-line.
For the attention of Welsh Government Minister for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates CC... UK Government Minister for Transport, Chris Grayling.
Dear Government Minister(s),
I draw your attention to the recent news that suggests that Neath will be taken off the main railway line from Swansea to London Paddington.
I am not in favour of this decision because I believe that taking Neath off the main line would have a detrimental effect to the economy and re-generation of our town. The station is already run-down and a hub for anti-social behaviour. Taking Neath off the main line would only worsen these problems.
It would also have a negative impact on those who commute on the main-line to work, meaning they would have to take an extra connection to Swansea, Baglan or Port Talbot first.
Recent figures via research conducted by Plaid Cymru Councillor for Neath South Jamie Evans has found that:
Around 830,000 passengers used Neath train station a year, making it the second busiest station, behind Swansea in the historic county of West Glamorgan and busiest of the five stations in Neath Port Talbot. The plans to remove Neath from the main line would mean commuters travelling to Cardiff from Neath would have to first catch a train to Swansea, Baglan or Port Talbot, meaning an increase in both cost and time taken to get to and from work.
People from Neath, Pontardawe, Skewen, Glynneath and the Dulais Valley would see no benefit at all from the “10 minutes” saved on a journey between Swansea and Cardiff.
I would gratefully ask you to re-consider this decision.
More details
https://www.change.org/p/welsh-government-don-t-take-neath-off-the-main-railway-line-keepneathontrack Since posting the change.org page and circulating online as of 1pm Sunday 29th April, by 20:44, the petition has received 2,700 signatures. I'd be grateful if these numbers can be considered to the limit of 5,000 signatures needed to debate the matter in the Assembly.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
Find out about the Petitions Committee’s discussion of this petition
The Petitions Committee decided not to refer this petition for a debate
The Committee considered a range of evidence and decided not to schedule the petition for debate in the Senedd in light of the commitment received that the Welsh Government would not support a proposal to reduce services to or from Neath station.