Wye Valley Railway - Proposed Uses and Cycle Path

Proposed Uses and Cycle Path

Sustrans, which owns the track bed between Chepstow and Tintern, has announced plans to turn the route into a cycleway, reopening the tunnels at Tidenham and Tintern and constructing a bridge over the River Wye near Tintern Station. Public consultations on the proposals took place during 2009, with a view to Sustrans re-submitting proposals for "a traffic-free path for walkers, cyclists, people with disabilities and horse riders" for planning approval later in the year. A consultation report was subsequently published by Sustrans. The proposal is to create a path between Brockweir and Sedbury, mostly using the abandoned railway track bed. Almost all the entire length of the old line is within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The campaign has been met with mixed reactions from the local community. There is a considerably large number of locals who support the plans, and this is reflected in the public comments on the Forest of Dean planning website, but there is also a committee of locals who strongly oppose the path proposal. The Forest of Dean District Council approved the plans on 9 November 2010. The route would form part of National Cycle Route 42.

In the 1970s an association was formed to collect materials for re-opening the line as a heritage railway, the whereabouts of this group is unknown.

A group also exists to promote the reopening of the line as a modern railway with electric services, they have a website with information about the line's history and evaluations about re-opening the line fully to Monmouth Troy.