Andy’s Thought Dump

Picture this: families piling off excursion trains, coffee in hand from a charming local café inside the old station building. Platforms bustling, Barry Island buzzing. Sounds like a dream, right? Well — we’re only three platforms and a bit of ambition away. Let’s talk about Barry Island station It should be a key gateway — but right now? It’s operating at about 33% of its potential. That’s not a statistic — that’s a cry for help. Platform 1 is the one we all use now  Platform 2 sits unused because it needs track relaying. Platform 3 is too short for longer excursion trains, fenced off from Platform 2 like they’re not even mates, despite being two sides of the same island platform. All three are physically connected. If you’re on one, you’re seconds away from the others. And they all have access to the station entrance - so this isn’t a complicated rebuild. It’s mostly a matter of willpower and investment. So what should we do? Here’s the dream - and it’s not that ...

There’s this idea I’ve had for a while now, and it just keeps circling in my head every time I pass the old harbour at Barry Island. Right now, it’s dead space. A patch of unused land tucked between the beach, the bridges, and the car park, forgotten and full of potential. And I can’t help but think: why are we letting that land sit there doing nothing when it could be helping to bring jobs, tourism, and money into the area? Imagine filling it in - literally. Level the land and turn it into a proper holiday park. Static caravans, lodges, maybe even chalets. Not some huge resort that swallows the Island whole, just a well-planned holiday complex that fits naturally into the landscape. Barry already gets its fair share of day-trippers when the sun’s out, but what if we gave them a reason to stay the weekend or the whole week? The location makes so much sense. Right by the sea. Walking distance to the beach, the fairground, the cafés, the railway. It’s all there - we’re just not using ...