Department of Transport

Glenda Jackson announces public inquiry into the reconstruction of the Welsh Highland Railway

date 5 June 1997   source Department of Transport   type Press release

Glenda Jackson, Minister for Local Transport, today announced that a
public inquiry will be held later this year into the proposal to
rebuild the former Welsh Highland Railway from Dinas, near
Caernarfon, through the Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog in
Gwynedd.

A number of objections have been received to the application by the
Festiniog Railway Company for an order under the Transport and Works
Act 1992, proposing the reconstruction of the line.

The inquiry will be conducted by an independent Inspector who will
make a report to the Secretary of State on whether the order should
be made and deemed planning permission granted.

The Secretary of State will then consider the Inspector's report
before making his decision.

A Welsh language translation of this press notice is attached.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The proposed reconstruction of the Welsh Highland Railway was
the subject of an application for an order under the Transport and
Works Act 1992 by the Festiniog Railway Company (FR) on 27 March
1997.

2. The proposal is for the construction of a 35 km (21.5 miles)
long narrow gauge railway on the trackbed of the former Welsh
Highland Railway which was closed in 1937.

3. The proposed Order would authorise the FR to construct,
maintain and operate the railway in Gwynedd from Dinas (south of
Caernarfon) through the Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog.

4. At Dinas the railway would join the proposed FR line to
Caernarfon, which is the subject of a Light Railway Order (being
applied for under the Light Railways Act 1896, a procedure now
superseded by the 1992 Act in England and Wales) and which is at
present being constructed by the Department. At Porthmadog the
railway would connect with the existing FR line to Blaenau
Ffestiniog.

5. The procedures for inquiries are set out in the Transport and
Works (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1992 (SI 1992 No. 2817). The Rules
provide a timetable for the pre-inquiry stages and require those who
wish to present oral evidence to the inquiry to make available
details of their evidence to other parties to the inquiry before it
opens.

6. The location of the inquiry and when it will open will be
announced later in the year after an Inspector has been appointed.
The Inspector is likely to hold a pre-inquiry meeting to discuss the
arrangements for the inquiry. Those who wish to present evidence
during the inquiry will be notified individually when this meeting
will take place.

7. Details of the project can be obtained from the Festiniog
Railway, Harbour Station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9NF or from their
Parliamentary Agents, Messrs Sharpe Pritchard, Elizabeth House,
Fulwood Place, London WC1V 6HG.


GLENDA JACKSON YN CYHOEDDI YMCHWILIAD CYHOEDDUS
I'R BWRIAD I AIL-GREU RHEILFFORDD UCHELDIR CYMRU

Heddiw, cyhoeddodd Glenda Jackson, y Gweinidog dros Drafnidiaeth
Leol, y bydd ymchwiliad cyhoeddus yn cael ei gynnal yn ddiweddarach
eleni i'r bwriad i ail-greu hen Reilffordd Ucheldir Cymru o Dinas ger
Caernarfon, trwy Barc Cenedlaethol Eryri i Borthmadog yng Ngwynedd.

Derbyniwyd nifer o wrthwynebiadau i gais Cwmni Rheilffordd Ffestiniog
am orchymyn o dan Ddeddf Trafnidiaeth a Gwaith 1992, yn cynnig
ail-greu'r lein.

Cynhelir yr ymchwiliad gan Arolygydd annibynnol a fydd yn paratoi
adroddiad i'r Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ynghylch a ddylid gwneud y
gorchymyn ai peidio ac a ddylid rhoi caniatbd cynllunio tybiedig.

Yna bydd yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol yn ystyried adroddiad yr Arolygydd
cyn gwneud ei benderfyniad.

NODIADAU I OLYGYDDION

1. Roedd y cynnig i ail-greu Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru yn
destun cais am orchymyn o dan Ddeddf Trafnidiaeth a Gwaith 1992 gan
Gwmni Rheilffordd Ffestiniog ar y 27ain o Fawrth, 1997.

2. Mae'r cynnig yn ymwneud b chreu lein gul 35km (21.5 milltir)
o hyd ar safle trac hen Rheilffordd Ucheldir Cymru a gaewyd yn 1937.

3. Byddai'r gorchymyn arfaethedig yn awdurdodi Rheilffordd
Ffestiniog i greu, cynnal a chadw a gweithredu'r rheilffordd yng
Ngwynedd o Dinas (i'r de o Gaernarfon) trwy Barc Cenedlaethol Eryri i
Borthmadog.

4. Yn Ninas, byddai'r rheilffordd yn ymuno b lein arfaethedig
Cwmni Rheilffordd Ffestiniog i Gaernarfon, sy'n destun Gorchymyn
Rheilffordd Gul (y gwnaed cais amdano o dan Ddeddf Rheilffyrdd Cul
1896, trefn sydd bellach wedi'i disodli gan Ddeddf 1992 yng Nghymru a
Lloegr), ac sydd ar hyn o bryd yn cael ei chreu gan yr Adran. Ym
Mhorthmadog, byddai'r rheilffordd yn ymuno b lein bresennol Cwmni
Rheilffordd Ffestiniog hyd at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

5. Disgrifir y drefn ar gyfer cynnal ymchwiliadau yn y Rheolau
Trafnidiaeth a Gwaith (Trefn Ymchwiliadau) 1992 (SI 1992 Rhif 2817).
Yn y Rheolau hyn ceir amserlen ar gyfer cynnal y camau cyn yr
ymchwiliad ac mae'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i'r rheini sydd am gyflwyno
tystiolaeth lafar i'r ymchwiliad sicrhau bod partoon eraill yn cael
manylion am eu tystiolaeth cyn i'r ymchwiliad ddechrau.

6. Bydd lleoliad yr ymchwiliad a'r dyddiad dechrau yn cael eu
cyhoeddi yn ddiweddarach eleni pan fydd Arolygydd wedi cael ei
benodi. Mae'r Arolygydd yn debygol o gynnal cyfarfod cyn yr
ymchwiliad i drafod y trefniadau perthnasol. Bydd y rheini sy'n
dymuno cyflwyno tystiolaeth yn ystod yr ymchwiliad yn cael eu
hysbysu'n unigol pa bryd y cynhelir y cyfarfod.

7. Gellir cael manylion am y prosiect oddi wrth Gwmni
Rheilffordd Ffestiniog, Gorsaf yr Harbwr, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49
9NF neu oddi wrth eu Hasiantwyr Seneddol, Messrs Sharpe Pritchard,
Elizabeth House, Fulwood Place, Llundain WC1V 6HG.

Railnews Archive ::: 1997-06-05 DoT-001

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