BRTA Public Forum in Wrexham 21-06-25 All Welcome

BRTA Public Forum in Wrexham 21-06-25 All Welcome

BRTA Wrexham Forum – Open to All!

Saturday 21 June at 2pm food and 3-5pm business

Venue: The Elihu Yale, 44-46 Regent Street, Wrexham LL11 1RR  https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/the-elihu-yale-wrexham/ Phone:01978-366646

 Agenda

1.                 Appointment of a Chair (by consent) for the meeting, not Simon.

2.                 Apologies for absence/sign attendance list

3.                 Review of Existing Services in Region including Shrewsbury-Chester and Wrexham-London prospects.

4.                 New Links/Rebuilds: Ruabon-Llangollen – needs determined case and push by ‘powers’.

5.                 Freight by Rail

6.                 Bridgnorth-Shrewsbury Corridor

7.                 West Wales North-South Proposals (Carmarthen-Bangor – not just problems but opportunities before too late and what you get if you do not act: A487/A470 upgrades for example undermining existing rail rather than boosting it. See A55 North Wales for example?!

8.                 Oswestry to Gobowen and links with Welshpool direct (Manchester Airport to Aberystwyth ‘not via Shrewsbury’ to shave end-to-end times)

9.                 Barmouth-Dolgellau – a terminal branch could go north to link with and make a loop via Blaenau Ffestiniog – some track remains towards Trawsfynydd.

10.           Join, offer to volunteer/be an area rep to recruit and build teams

11.            Any Other Business

12.            Date, time and place of next meeting for Wales 2026 (Machynlleth).

“Think not what BRTA can do for you, but what you can do for BRTA” – A variant on a quote from the late J. F. Kennedy circa 1962.

https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/ and https://brtarailvolunteer.blogspot.com/

For further information please contact Simon Barber, BRTA Forums Convenor, Email address: admin@brtarail.com

Phone (landline): 020-8940-4399 Phone (mobile): 07522-374740

Commentary and background:

BRTA  aims to highlight discussions around the border with Wales and Welsh Rail development and our stance is that we do not do it all, but rather, people join BRTA, offer to volunteer and serve and grow that pattern to enable teams working on projects in a credible way to progress these and wider pro-rail agendas to the top - beit Welsh Assembly and/or Department for Transport (English side).

Please bring your friends and help with the discussions constructively. Thank you.

On Llangollen-Ruabon, one wonders why on earth any rail project would not want an inclusive rail link to their outlet to massively boost usership and prosperity of it and surrounding areas? But what it also needs is a power to see wider considerations and benefits and to push it through as per HS2 "here's the cheque, move please" with compensation from the powers who allowed old routes and deviation spaces to be compromised in the first place?

Where we are now nationwide and local specifics is a massive development sprawl and campaign by government, without a commitment to adequate rail-based infrastructure and massive implications on the roads and compromise of air quality, the land use and the environment (quality of life!) issues. We need a rebalance with rail - heavy rail solutions which cater for a more dynamic set of options for the purchaser for both passenger and freight by rail operations. 

Unless we can grow and persuade the government that is what is needed with some new and creative thinking, the outcomes and interim will be nationwide satisfaction. 

Likewise, affordability, beit buses or rail or both, we need 18+ to Retirement ages access to a free bus-rail pass especially if under £21, 000 p.a. for example to give lifestyle enhancement, choice and mobility other than total car dependency and cost locked-in and perpetuated. 

Join us and help campaign for these improvements, as that is the way to do it! Contact and join our loop via ceo@brtarail.com