Residents living above the Welsh Highland Railway in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, claim they are falling sick due to the thick acrid smoke emanating from the trains. According to them, the fumes from the heritage railway have caused “considerable concern” on Rhes Segontiwm.
The railway season ended in October, bar some Christmas events, but residents are already worried about next year. “In June 2022 we became very concerned about the quality of the smoke and we noticed that we could taste it,” said Nia Davies Williams, who added that they don’t dare leave the windows open in the summer anymore.
Welsh Highland Railway, which runs steam trains, claimed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get cleaner coal, as the war in Ukraine was making them more reliant on dirtier imports. Their boss, Paul Lewin, explained, “For over a decade we have been burning dry coal from Wales, this is the Rolls-Royce material for steam trains. It’s hard coal and it burns very hot and for a long time, and there’s not a lot of smoke. But the challenge for us is that the Welsh government has decided to end coal production in Wales.”
The railway used to buy good coal from Russia, but that had stopped because of the war in Ukraine. Now, a mix of imported coal and smokeless fuel was burned, but combining them has proven to be challenging. However, closing down is not an option as the business is responsible for jobs. Welsh Highland Railway is working to find the best fuel, but the problem of acquiring it is an industry-wide issue.
Meanwhile, residents argue that the tourists’ recreation should not come at the expense of their health. They call for the railway to solve the smoke problem quickly or shut down. David Keeble, another frustrated resident, said it was time the railway was “shamed into taking long-term action.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More