PROPOSALS for the planned Magor and Undy train station were met with encouragement and optimism at a meeting at Magor Baptist Church Hall last week (September 20).

Visitors to the church hall could view the artists’ impressions of how the new “walkway” station would look. The station is planned in such a way to encourage train travellers to walk or cycle to and from the station, as opposed to parkway-type station which usually involves large car parks.

After viewing the diagrams, more than 100 attendees listened to speeches by local politicians and Wales’ future generations commissioner, Sophie Howe.

Ms Howe said: “I welcomed the opportunity to meet the Undy and Magor community last week to hear about their long-term plans for a Walkway station, which could be the first of its kind in Wales and possibly the UK.

“The project is a good example of the Well-being of Future Generations Act intention and ambition.”

“It also offers a different an alternative solution to using the car and promotes active travel choices, an alternative that is outlined my recently published report, ‘Transport Fit for Future Generations.”

John Griffiths AM said: “There was great gratitude for the work of the Magor Action Group who have worked very hard over several years to win community support and work up the proposals. And a sense that a stage has been reached in the UK Government process which clearly shows the merit of the case are recognised and prospects are good.

“It is an exciting project which would see local residents walking to the station and take cars off the road. It would also be the catalyst for wider community development in Magor and Undy.”

Jessica Morden MP said: “It’s been fantastic working with the Magor Action Group on Rail over recent years as they continue to turn their vision for the Magor and Undy walkway station into a reality. Last week’s meeting just continues to demonstrate the support they have in bringing a station back to Magor and I look forward to working with them towards the delivery of the walkway station.”

Monmouthshire County Councillor Frances Taylor praised the action group’s work since the project’s inception, saying: “It’s a fantastic group of people with a huge amount of commitment and dedication.”

Paul Turner, who has been organising the rail campaign, said the next stage for the action group was to find funding to finish the current stage of the process, and a meeting with the head of Transport for Wales was scheduled for November.