AN URGENT meeting has been organised in the Senedd tomorrow (Tuesday, May 17) to share concerns about the future of Heritage Railways in Wales.

The meeting, organised by Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS Mabon ap Gwynfor, will be an opportunity for representatives of Heritage Railways across Wales to explain the difficulties facing the sector.

The steam trains are dependent on coal to power the engines.

The sector has recently come under considerable pressure after both the UK and Welsh governments decided to end mining.

For the past year, there has been just one remaining mine at Ffos-y-Fran in South Wales, supplying bituminous coal to the sector, but Ffos y Fran is due to close this year.

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The Welsh Heritage Railways, which include Ffestiniog Railway, Welsh Highland Railway and Bala Lake Light Railway, among many others, attracts more than 1.2 million visitors each year.

The sector is now seeking low-emissions coal so that the Heritage Railways, which play a significant role in the Welsh economy, can continue in the future.

Mr ap Gwynfor said: “I’m looking forward to meeting with Steve Oates from the Heritage Railway Association tomorrow and giving the Heritage Railway sector a platform to share their concerns with other MSs.

“All of us, including this sector, wish to see more done to tackle the climate emergency and burn less fossil fuels. However steam engines run on steam coal.

“If we wish to see this sector continue in the future, and we wish to celebrate our great Welsh heritage, we must make suitable low-emissions bituminous lump coal available to Heritage Railways.

“Every other sector and mode of transport has a transitional period in order for society to transition from fossil fuel to a more renewable source of fuel.

“But this isn’t the case with the Heritage Rail sector.

“They’ve not had an opportunity to properly develop an alternative source of fuel suitable for their steam engines, and things have been made more difficult due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“I hope Steve Oates and the Heritage Rail sector receive the support of my colleagues and that we can find a cross party consensus to find a way forward for the sector and ensure it continues to attract people to Wales and employ people in our communities.”