THE first phase of a project to transform a former military railway into a shared use cycling and walking route is underway.

Born out of a desire to encourage more sustainable travel to Caldicot Castle, its park grounds and the eastern side of the town, the route will see the old rail Army rail line repurposed to become a part of Monmouthshire’s Active Travel network.

The first phase of the route will run from the Cornfields Project – a community-led initiative which reclaimed local scrubland and produced a much-used green space – to the magnificent Caldicot Castle Park.

The long-term aim is to have a stretch of walking and cycling path that spans from Caldicot to Crick, connecting to Portskewett, and offering people an alternative route to the existing traffic-heavy route.

The first action of the joint council and Sustrans project has been for Monmouthshire’s maintenance team to clear vegetation so that the railway line could be removed.

Next was the delicate task of painstakingly disassembling and transporting the track to Carmarthen for reuse by the Gwili Railway, a Welsh heritage group, a job that was far from easy given its possible impact on the area’s biodiversity and the need to ensure protection of trees and wildlife.

The track bed is now completely cleared, including all the railway sleepers, although some of the track is staying in place, as a nod to the heritage of the railway, and will feature as part of the final design along with boards describing the history of the site.

Cllr Sara Burch (Cantref, Labour), cabinet member for inclusive and active communities, said: “It is wonderful that another Active Travel route is being developed in Monmouthshire.

“The proposed Active Travel route will benefit a large number of people and will provide a safer and better means of walking or cycling in and around the Caldicot area.

“This fantastic project will help cut down our carbon footprint as routes to Portskewett and Caldicot will be much more accessible via biking or walking.”

Gwyn Smith, network development manager for Sustrans Cymru, said: “The removal of the rail was a great team effort involving many partners.

“Local business owners, Wildwood Ecology, Monmouthshire County Council maintenance team, Gwili Railway and Rail Contactors Barretts all came together, leaving a great space for the new path to be constructed.

“Sustrans Cymru is incredibly pleased that the rail is going to be reused, and that a new Active Travel route will be created through this collaborative working.”

Construction of the new path is aiming to commence this winter, with plans being developed to continue the path through Castle Park and into Caldicot’s town centre, ensuring easier access to local amenities.

The first phase of the project is expected to be complete by 2023, at which point the project will move onto its next phase for further expansion.