Trust a journalist to make something out of nothing.
We have been briefed that environment minister Jane Davidson will this week launch a nice-tasting initiative from Arriva Trains Wales. The company is to start serving Fair Trade coffee on its services.
In order to provide a “photo-opportunity” – Ms D being handed a cup and beaming back while a TV cameraman (two if she’s lucky, one each from BBC and HTV – if there’s room for both on the train), and perhaps a press-man as well, try almost to knock it out of her hand – journalists are being asked to travel to Newport, and then on the train back to Cardiff.
Well, Ms D lives near Gwaelod y Garth, which means her nearest Arriva train is at Taff’s Well or Radyr. That would save all the mileage involved in getting to Newport.
But, then, none of the Radyr trains serve coffee. And the photo-op is at 9am; the crush of commuters means no room for the cameramen.
So, Newport it has to be, despite the carbon footprint involved. Of course, Ms D might hop astride her much-used bike…
In any case, the entire issue just shows how much old-BR is changing nowadays. Some trains even carry machines which crush the beans at the serving counter.
And it’s not only beans which are making train-news. Last month, transport minister (and deputy FM) Ieuan Wyn Jones very quietly announced how much he is about to spend on reopening the Newport to Ebbw Vale line (the current service to Cardiff runs along a new route, with no stop in Newport).
And the local authority public transport group SEWTA has included in its plans for the future the reopening of the line to Llantrisant and Beddau (an old colliery site).
Rail enthusiast mags are now frequently praising the considerable activity emanating from the devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland, while England does almost nothing about reopening rail lines.
It seems that Wales is on the fast line to somewhere…
