THERE was a packed platform on Llandovery Railway Station on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of the new section of the Heart Of Wales Line Trail, writes Huw S Thomas.

Over 60 walkers from Wales and beyond turned up to enjoy one of three walks organised by local Walkers Are Welcome members Robin Barlow and Glyn Evans – one 11-mile hike to Llangadog, another of seven miles to Myddfai and a three-mile ramble around Llandovery town.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member for culture, sport and tourism, Peter Hughes-Griffiths, officially opened the Llangadog to Llanwrtyd Wells part of the new Heart of Wales Line Trail as part of the 150th anniversary year of the Heart of Wales railway.

He was fulsome in his praise of the local initiative.

“The new section of the Heart of Wales Line Trial will bring huge interest and enormous benefit – socially, culturally and economically – to the upper reaches of the Tywi Valley,” said Cllr Hughes-Griffiths.

“The Shropshire section of the trail opened in October 2017 followed by the opening of the Ammanford to Llanelli section and this new section will further extend the opportunities offered to walkers in Carmarthenshire.”

He congratulated the efforts of the Llandovery Walkers Are Welcome Group who had made a key and vital contribution to the planning of three legs of the route – Llangadog-Llandovery, Llandovery-Cynghordy and Cynghordy-Llanwrtyd Wells.

Stakeholder manager of Arriva Trains Wales Tom Owens and Network Rail executive Dave Stanbury along with county councillor Handel Davies also came in for warm praise for their efforts in bringing the project to fruition. “This new trail will attract greater numbers to the line to enjoy the appeal of a rail based ramble and to experience the superb outdoor beauty of this part of Carmarthenshire.

“The line is one of the most truly scenic and spectacular in Britain and it is exciting to see that more people will now have access to the splendour of the surrounding areas. The trail will use existing rights of way that connect in and out of the stations along the line, allowing walkers to hop on and off and walk some or all the entire route. I would also like to pay tribute to the fine and difficult work of the Council Rights of Way planners Martin Murray, Nigel Powell and Alan Warner who have done so much preparation on new stiles and footbridges, clearing paths and trees and marking out routes and so on.

“The county’s Feeling Fine campaign is dedicated to the promotion of leisure and conservation and to enhancing the environment and this new trail will do just that, whilst ensuring the sustainable economic, environmental and social well being of the county.

“In our vision for the future of Carmarthenshire, this initiative dovetails perfectly with our aims and objectives – to develop a prosperous visitor and local economy based on its unique strengths and character and enhances its image and reputation and improves the quality of life for local communities.”

Highlight of the Trail will be the sights of the two Iron Age forts on Garn Goch near the village of Bethlehem and the Cynghordy Viaduct – a major Victorian engineering feat – and there will also be a chance to visit historic Myddfai known for its physicians who practised herbal medicine during the 11th and 12th centuries.

A picture of the iconic Grade II 18 arched Cynghordy Viaduct will be the logo used on literature and on line to promote the line inside and outside Wales.

The new section will be a part of the 150-mile trail that starts in the old railway town of Craven Arms and passes through a spectacular range of landscapes and is designed to make use of existing public rights of way and to intersect with some well established walks including the Shropshire Way, Offa’s Dyke Path and Beacons Way.

The trail in Carmarthenshire and elsewhere will be suitable for people looking for a long distance challenge, but equally for those who wish to walk the trail in sections, using the train to access day or weekend walks and using local shops, cafes, pubs and overnight accommodation along the way.

With the resounding strains of Llandovery Male Voice Choir’s powerful rendering of Dyffryn Tywi still ringing in their ears, the three groups of walkers braved the heat wave conditions to stride away from the station and mark the opening of this new and historic trail.