Coal protest shuts down rail route to opencast mine in South Wales (26/4/2010)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Guardian:

Seven coal activists arrested after chaining themselves to railway track leading to Ffos-y-Fran mine

Seven protesters have been arrested by police after chaining themselves to the train line connecting an open cast coal mine with a power station in South Wales. Police are currently dealing with a second group of activists who have now locked on further up the line.
The Ffos-y-Fran opencast coal mine near Merthyr Tydfil has already been the target of several occupations (including one by Guardian writer George Monbiot), the Welsh climate camp last summer, and a sustained local campaign from the residents.
The activists, part of the Bristol and Bath Rising Tide direct action group, reached the rail track at midday today, and phoned the security at the coal mine to warn them about the protest. Three of the activists then used chains and padlocks to lock themselves to the train tracks. Two of the activists went to a nearby vantage point where they could warn any approaching trains The activists also stretched a large banner across the line.
Police arrived at around 2pm, and warned the activists that they would be arrested for trespassing and obstructing the train line. They arrested the activists not attached the train-line and began cutting through the padlocks at around 4pm. The last activist was taken away from the scene at 5.15pm. But a second group arrived and locked on further along the line. Police are now dealing with them.
Next month activists are planning a mass bike ride from the coal mine to Rossport in Ireland, where the long-running Shell-to-Sea campaign is based. Local campaigners await the results of a legal challenge to the mine.
"The action took place on behalf of the local campaigners, but was also aimed at highlighting the general weakness of the government's policy on climate change," said Chris James, a campaigner associated with Rising Tide.
James Poyner, joint managing director of Miller Argent, the company that ownes the mine, condemned the action as "utterly reckless". Trains from the coal mine, which normally supply 40% of the coal used by the power station, were halted for the day. "It's absolutely suicidal," said Poyner, "and the activists have given no thought to the driver either. What if we had not been able to get word to the driver in time? They haven't thought through their argument. Without coal how are we supposed to light our homes, our hospitals, our schools?"
Twenty-two protesters who ambushed and hijacked a train delivering coal to Drax power station in North Yorkshire were convicted in July last year. They were sentenced to community service in September and ordered to pay costs and compensation to Network Rail.

[Phil]

Absolutely nuts.

(sorry... I'll get me coat)

[welshman]

Ffos y fran is, despite the protests, a little more than an open cast mine.  The planning deal was that everything had to go out by train and not by lorry.  The reclamation/shaft capping etc which will also go on will leave the whole area in a better state, eventually.

The site is adjacent to the wonderfully named Bogey Road.  Those of you familiar with Merthyr Tydfil will know all about the Bogey Road. 

I can say no more.   But you can Google "Bogey Road" and find out why.  The top site includes some photos of local railways in times past.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Eighteen charged after Ffos-y-Fran site railway demo

Eighteen people have been charged with obstructing the railway with intent after a protest at an open cast mine.
British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) said 11 men and seven women aged 21-55 were held on Monday afternoon on the railway at Ffos-y-Fran in Merthyr Tydfil.
BTP said eight were from Bristol, one from Bath and one from Swindon. Eight refused to give their addresses.
All those arrested were bailed to appear before Merthyr Tydfil magistrates on Monday 10 May.
Officers from South Wales Police and Gwent Police were called to scene on Monday.
Work to mine 10m tonnes of coal over 17 years from Ffos-y-Fran began in June 2007 after a public inquiry.
BTP said all 18 people arrested have been charged with Obstruction of the Railway with Intent, contrary to Section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Ban for 13 protesters from Merthyr opencast site

Thirteen people who admitted obstructing a railway taking coal from an opencast site to a power station have been given conditional discharges.

The group, from Bristol and western England, were sentenced at Merthyr Crown Court over the 2009 protest.

They were also banned from the Merthyr site, Ffos-y-Fran, and Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Meanwhile, a "climate camp" protest has begun near Dyffryn Cellwen, north of Glynneath, near other opencast sites.

In court, the 13 campaigners pleaded guilty to obstructing the railway line used to carry coal from Ffos-y-Fran to Aberthaw.

They were each ordered to pay ^60 costs and four of the defendants were ordered to pay compensation between ^100 and ^250 to Miller Argent, the company which runs Ffos y Fran.

After the case, activist group Rising Tide said: "Opencast mining trashes the landscape, contributes massively to climate change and threatens the health of local people. We need to leave coal in the ground, and that's why we put our necks on the line to stop a coal train."

James Poyner, joint managing director of Miller Argent, said: "Their action was very irresponsible. They have to realise they're not above the law, however strongly held their beliefs are."

... that's why we put our necks on the line to stop a coal train.

I bet they didn't - not really.