Royals reopen Llandovery Railway Station building

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall officially reopened the Llandovery Railway Station building.
The Royal Couple unveiled a plaque commemorating the reopening of the Station Waiting Room and spent an hour looking around the newly refurbished facility and meeting guests.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s regeneration department has been responsible for attracting more than £40,000 funding for the project to renovate and reopen the building which has been out of use for almost 20 years.
This project received funding from the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development under two Axis 3 initiatives, a Developing Identity and Distinctiveness Project grant of £16,500 and an Access to Services grant of £25,000.
Llandovery station building was erected in 1858 and the sale of the last ticket took place in its ticket hall in 1992 when it became an unmanned halt. The station buildings closed down, eventually falling into quite a bad state of repair.
The Heart of Wales Line Development Company and Heart of Wales Line Travellers Association identified the station and its buildings as an opportunity to provide community transport services and facilities. The line links a large number of rural communities and attracts visitors to the area.
Funding secured from the RDP covered work undertaken on the ground floor waiting room and café, transport, ticket information and signage. The upgrade to the station has meant that there is an increase in usage that has provided an increase in the revenue generated, including sub-letting of the cycle station and use of the community waiting room on the first floor.
Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “The funding secured by Carmarthenshire County Council for this project through the RDP has helped to provide an excellent facility both for local people and for visitors to the area.”
Carmarthenshire County Council Chairman Cllr Ivor Jackson said: “It was an excellent idea to bring the old station building back to life. It was unmanned but now people will be here daily running the café and welcoming travellers. It is all done on a voluntary basis and I think it’s brilliant.”
Carmarthenshire County Council Community Regeneration Manager John Wilson commented “It is great to see that with our help, such community projects are taking advantage of the European grant funds we have been able to secure from such programmes as the Rural Development Plan. Together we are managing to make a real difference for our communities throughout Carmarthenshire.”

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