A Llanelli heritage group is rallying to save the town's last remaining railway signal box from demolition.
The 135-year-old Llanelli West signal box at Glanmor Road is set to be removed in January 2013, but history enthusiasts hope the building will be granted listed status to ensure its preservation.
MP▸ Nia Griffith and Richard Roper at the Llanelli West signal boxFearing the structure will be demolished, Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust has asked Cadw ^ a Welsh Government heritage conservation organisation ^ to list the building, which is the fourth oldest of its kind in Wales.
Trust secretary Richard Roper said: "It deserves to be saved as it is an important part of the industrial heritage of Llanelli, and a much-loved feature of our town.
And chairwoman Nia Griffith MP added: "Here in Llanelli we are proud of our heritage, and the development of the railway was a key part of our industrial history. It is important that we value buildings such as the signal box, which have a story to tell, so that is why we are asking Network Rail to think again and abandon their plans to demolish it."
The Llanelli West Signal Box, which was built in 1877 and originally named Llanelly No.4, is the last remaining signal box in Llanelli.
The building is currently still in use and controls two level crossings at Llanelli train station, but it is understood the crossings will be controlled from Port Talbot when the signal box closes.
Network Rail eventually plans to close nearly all 800 signalling centres throughout the
UK▸ , but is currently in talks with Cadw over the future of the signal box.
A spokesman said: "We have been involved with informal discussions with various local heritage societies about the future for the signal box but, at this stage, nothing has been agreed with any party. We are working very closely with Cadw and are in favour of protecting our rail heritage where this is the right approach for Wales. These discussions with Cadw have been planned for a while now following a similar signal box review with English Heritage."
And a spokesman for Cadw confirmed it was looking into the possibility of granting listed status. "In partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Cadw is currently conducting a review of signal boxes with the intention of identifying those that are potentially of historic interest," the spokesman said. "The first stage of the review will be completed before the end of the year, at which point further evaluation of the structures identified will take place."
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