New major centre for South Wales
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ANS for a 30-acre freight centre in South Wales have been proIsed by a Conservative MP. The centre, with rail link to a ware'using complex, could help take some of the freight traffic away )m the Severn Bridge and onto rail.
3ir Brandon Rhys Williams,.
(Kensington, C) told CM that: 3 centre was ideally situated' ar an intersection of the M4: d the main railway line from ddington to Fishguard.
"British Rail is enthusiastic out the idea and the Welsh fice has been consulted on deled design," he said. Meetings a scheduled with BR at a later te to discuss some of the engiering problems likely to be enuntered when building a ling from the freight centre to n up with the main line.
ecIthough BR stands to gain ditional traffic at the expense road transport, Sir Brandon inted out that BR would be erested mainly in container )ds. "Smaller traffic would Id to be taken by road," he d.
[he date of the project has not t been set due to the siting of a Nage works on the site. Sir 3ndori has asked the Vale of 3morgan Borough Council for rmission to build a temporary irks on about two acres.
This would allow him to get ). plans underway before a blic inquiry into a sewage rrks to serve the whole site.
3ir Brandon said that it was portant that the centre went ead as it was in a perfect posin. The Council's attitude was t helping the project at all, he said.
Industry's worries over the poor state of the Severn Bridge would be alleviated if more freight traffic went by rail, he said. Fewer lorries passing over the bridge will help extend its life-span.
He is hoping to attract companies from a wide area. They would be able to transport and store their goods there, with a choice of continuing the journey by road or rail.
A BR spokesman told CM that it was interested in the scheme, but it was up to Sir Brandon to make the next move. No financial aid would come from BR, although Sir Brandon could be able to get a Section 8 Grant for taking freight off the roads and onto the environmentally more acceptable rail.