I did give them a few hours Saeson ( ! ) but it looks like I'll have to pour the cold water.
Subsidies generally come ultimately from WAG ( via a number of schemes and bodies ). A few councils run their own services - Caerphilly is one - and these are in part subsidised by Council Tax.
Running your own would mean a council could change timetables etc.
However, subsidies are there as sweeteners, in that they subsidise services which public authorities deem vital but which wouldn't be commercially viable.
Rural areas is a classic example.
Another example is - wait for it - our long-lost rail links.
If the buses were half full all the time they possibly wouldn't be commercially viable because that's still only 1 bus ( 'cos there's only 1 train ) per hour.
The route(s), deemed vital to give people access to rail transport from this area, were obviously a prime candidate for subsidies.
The rest is history, unfortunately.
The only economic reason I can think of is that WAG does have a limit on the amount of subsidy per passenger eg. £75,000 on a route that carried 7,500 fares in total isn't as worthwhile as £1,000,000 for a carrier with 250,000 customers.
No doubt there's some correspondence on the subject that might enlighten us all.
(And no doubt someone will ask.............. ). _________________ Rocke
thank you for the welcome.
if the council would like to see a line for Aber, why don't they just get on with it ?
Dear Blodwend, the sad reality is that when Rhodri Morgan made his big statement about the regeneration of Ebbw Vale after the steelworks closed it was always going to fall short of the grand plan. Costs always (deliberately?) spiral from original estimates. It was obvious something was up when things started to go quiet. So...no 1/2 hourly train service, no double track from Risca to Aberbeeg, and most definitely no line to Abertillery - a town whose citizens have been well and truly stiffed on this one.
A question for a BG councillor (ooh, wonder which one will take the trouble to respond ). Does Stagecoach receive a subsidy (from WAG, BGCGC)? If they do, can`t whoever pays it make them adjust the timetable so that the hourly evening bus to Brynmawr doesn`t leave Llanhilleth about two minutes before the train arrives? Just wondered.
so you think Peter Law was wrong then ? _________________ Nelson Eddy forever.
and always a hidden pseudonyms They don't want you to know they are online on the forum or using the pm service We have quite a rash of hidden members since they joined never had any before _________________ My life is no rehearsal There'll be no curtain call encore, so I've thrown my screwed up script away to ad lib my life once more!
thank you for the welcome.
if the council would like to see a line for Aber, why don't they just get on with it ?
Dear Blodwend, the sad reality is that when Rhodri Morgan made his big statement about the regeneration of Ebbw Vale after the steelworks closed it was always going to fall short of the grand plan. Costs always (deliberately?) spiral from original estimates. It was obvious something was up when things started to go quiet. So...no 1/2 hourly train service, no double track from Risca to Aberbeeg, and most definitely no line to Abertillery - a town whose citizens have been well and truly stiffed on this one.
A question for a BG councillor (ooh, wonder which one will take the trouble to respond ). Does Stagecoach receive a subsidy (from WAG, BGCGC)? If they do, can`t whoever pays it make them adjust the timetable so that the hourly evening bus to Brynmawr doesn`t leave Llanhilleth about two minutes before the train arrives? Just wondered.
so you think Peter Law was wrong then ?
Not sure what you mean. If you`re being genuine, that is. What Peter Law may or may not have been led to believe doesn`t change the reality. A line to Aber would cost millions (believe it) and there are other fish to fry, i.e. extending the line to EV Town (a `given` according to a BGCBC source ) and getting a service into Newport. Yeah, I know Cardiff is where most of us want to go, but it`s not very convenient for going onto anywhere else (except Swansea )
so we are definately not getting a line to Aber then. That's awful thanks Saeson.
Strange choice of words there Never say never, but it doesn`t stack up. The WAG won`t spend some thousands of pounds on a bus link, what are the odds of millions for a rail line? The Council can beat its chest as much as it wants, but it`s not the one holding the purse strings. I have not seen any evidence that there is the slightest chance of it happening and neither have you.
Letter received today from Richard Coombs, Transport Manager, Gwent Joint Passenger Transport Unit.
Dear Councillor McCarthy,
Llanhilleth Railway Station - Bus Timings
Further to your letter concerning the above.
Firstly, I must apologise for the delay in responding concerning this matter. Unfortunately, despite protracted negotiations I have been unable to reach agreement over a timing change to local bus services passing Llanhilleth railway station without additional subsidy being provided. I have therefore discussed the issue with Alun Evans, my client officer in Blaenau Gwent who confirms that no additional bus subsidy is available for service provision at present.
I will add that this request will not be forgotten and will remain on record to be revisited should funding become available during the financial year.
Yours etc.
[So there you have it. _________________ This is my truth. Now tell me yours.
Letter received today from Richard Coombs, Transport Manager, Gwent Joint Passenger Transport Unit.
Dear Councillor McCarthy,
Llanhilleth Railway Station - Bus Timings
Further to your letter concerning the above.
Firstly, I must apologise for the delay in responding concerning this matter. Unfortunately, despite protracted negotiations I have been unable to reach agreement over a timing change to local bus services passing Llanhilleth railway station without additional subsidy being provided. I have therefore discussed the issue with Alun Evans, my client officer in Blaenau Gwent who confirms that no additional bus subsidy is available for service provision at present.
I will add that this request will not be forgotten and will remain on record to be revisited should funding become available during the financial year.
Yours etc.
[So there you have it.
Thank you for that. It`s useful to know if not what we want to hear. I would question just how `protracted` these negotiations were, but I guess we`ll never know.
I think we`re being taken for a ride (so to speak). The fact is the (two-hourly) buses at 1918, 2118 and 2312 as well as all Sunday buses leave Llanhilleth as little as two minutes before the train pulls in. Two fingers and a poke in the eye from Stagecoach.
We hear the public transport message time and again, but here in Blaenau Gwent the trains are of little use to anyone without a car unless you live within walking distance of a station. There`s no-one to shout for us and point out how unfair it all is. And no incentive to vote for the ruling party(ies) at the next election either. Labour don`t care; transport was a bone they tossed to Plaid. The trains are mostly for leisure, which suits me, but not the people who are unemployed with no access to a station. Nothing will change because nobody cares enough about us to make it do so.
Two minutes late, the Blaenau Gwent express (also known as the 9.35 to Ebbw Vale) rolls out of Cardiff Central station.
The departure had a Harry Potter-esque quality, with the train parked on Platform 0, which is reached via its own separate small staircase, away from the main departure area.
Once on the platform, passengers are open to the elements, and are exposed to the gaze of commuters standing smugly on the other side of the tracks under a roof, sheltered from the extremes of rain and sun.
Wrong side of the tracks. Is that a good analogy for my destination, the much-maligned county of Blaenau Gwent?
The former mining and industrial area is constantly prefixed in reports and the media: highest this; lowest that; but inevitably what is meant is worst. This time it's unemployment.
Blaenau Gwent has the highest number of jobless people in the UK, a report by the Joseph Rowntree foundation has found, with a high proportion of those young people. Across Wales, nearly half of all unemployed people are under the age of 25.
Unlike Harry Potter and friends on their Hogwarts Express, this train is not carrying me or anyone else to a magical place of opportunity. There is beauty in the green hills coursing past me on this sunny summer's day, but you cannot eat scenery.
This very train service was partly set up to provide help for those wishing to find work outside the immediate area, but as I am to discover, that is not always desired by those categorised as NEETs (not in employment, education or training).
There is more if you follow the link. Scenery is just about all we have to offer in Abertillery and I think it will be a long time before we have more to offer, no shops no jobs, no line. no hope _________________ Everyone is gifted but some just never open their package
There was an interesting discussion about reopening old rail lines on Radio Wales the other day.
The Ebbw Valley line was mentioned by one of the contributors, who also suggested that due to the success of the line there could be a possibility of the line being upgraded to allow a half-hourly service to cope with passenger demand. This has already happend with lines serving Aberdare and Merthyr, so it's not impossible to achieve if the resources and willingness are there.
This is a response to the 'Neets' article posted by Bryn.
An interesting article.
What struck me is the amount of help our youngsters seem to require from public services to build their social skills and self-confidence. Are we that bad at parenting in Blaenau Gwent that we need the state to help us out ?
_________________ Top tip: never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow
In a nutshell no we are no worse at parenting here than anywhere else in Britain.
We are being brainwashed into believing we are since it justifies the need for more nanny state interference from administrators, managers, under managers,project managers, development officers, co-coordinators and over zealous general do gooder leaders of the pack to instruct us how to live,think,eat,speak, work and play under the politically correct, nanny state guidelines set up by Nulab.
Our natural parenting instincts are being suppressed and replaced by greener, energy efficient, healthy lifestyle options. I am just waiting for the day when the politically correct, super energy efficient way to conceive comes beaming into our living rooms via the TV. _________________ Everyone is gifted but some just never open their package
In a nutshell no we are no worse at parenting here than anywhere else in Britain.
We are being brainwashed into believing we are since it justifies the need for more nanny state interference from administrators, managers, under managers,project managers, development officers, co-coordinators and over zealous general do gooder leaders of the pack to instruct us how to live,think,eat,speak, work and play under the politically correct, nanny state guidelines set up by Nulab.
Our natural parenting instincts are being suppressed and replaced by greener, energy efficient, healthy lifestyle options. I am just waiting for the day when the politically correct, super energy efficient way to conceive comes beaming into our living rooms via the TV.
This is getting way off topic, but it has everything to do with parents, many of whom have never read to or played with their kids, happy to see them out the door and out of their hair.
Try Googling Thatcher`s interview in 1987 in which she says there is no such thing as society. Read it all and then wear your blue badge with pride.
Obviously you have contacted the relevant authorities regarding the Llanhilleth Railway Station bus timings ! their response is noted, and I thank you for that !
However, do you really think as a representative of your ward that just by posting their reply on this forum is good enough an answer ?
I DON'T !
You were voted in by the people of your borough / ward, I'm sure that they and anyone else outside of your area are not happy with the answer ,
"So There You Have It !"
Why don't you put pressure on these people and try and gain some respect back from the people who DID vote for you ?
There was also a post from the Abrogator, regarding a possible half hour service being introduced through popular demand !
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). Does Stagecoach receive a subsidy (from WAG, BGCGC)? If they do, can`t whoever pays it make them adjust the timetable so that the hourly evening bus to Brynmawr doesn`t leave Llanhilleth about two minutes before the train arrives? Just wondered.
) and getting a service into Newport. Yeah, I know Cardiff is where most of us want to go, but it`s not very convenient for going onto anywhere else (except Swansea 
)
