SELRAP Newsletter Interactive 4pm 20th feb 2026 - Flipbook - Page 15
LEARNING FROM OTHERS
Welsh Revolu琀椀on
Reversing Decline
1960s Sco琀�sh Borders protesters
King Edward VIII’s Welsh visit in 1936 (Alamy)
We have con琀椀nued to learn from groups
who successfully campaigned for their
local line to be reopened.
For example, Network Rail’s Mike
Smith told our 2025 AGM that the
Northumberland Line could not have
reopened (December 2024) without
a good business case and strong local
authority backing.
At our September 2025 members’
mee琀椀ng, the Campaign for Borders Rail’s
Chris Norton highlighted the crucial
role community support played in the
2015 reopening of the Edinburgh to
Galashiels Line, controversially closed by
Dr Beeching.
Devolu琀椀on of power from Whitehall is
a recurring theme. If the Skipton-Colne
Line was in London, Scotland or Wales, it
would already be reopened.
Visi琀椀ng South Wales in 1936, King
Edward VIII very famously said:
“Something must be done” to tackle
local poverty.
Nearly a century later, his wish is 昀椀nally
coming true.
We will be keeping a close eye on
the development of the South Wales
Metro, which is breathing new life into
communi琀椀es up and down the Welsh
Valleys.
SELRAP’s Andy Dixon said “With a
similar popula琀椀on to East Lancashire,
South Wales is showing what more
ambi琀椀on can deliver: brand-new, fullyaccessible, and ‘green’ trains, running
every 15 minutes, with common
branding and 琀椀cke琀椀ng. Lancashire’s
leaders need to up their game and
follow Wales’s example”.
Levenmouth devolu琀椀on boost (Network Rail)
South Wales Metro, 2025 (Andy Dixon)
15
return to index
