Senedd announce massive rail investment, but little for north Powys

Hot on the heels of the Welsh Government’s announcement that hundreds of millions will be invested into new railway stations and improvements, a rival party has been quick to point out there is nothing for Montgomeryshire.

Our local rail infrastructure is in huge need of investment, and there was hope raised when the Prime Minister and First Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’ long-term rail vision this week.

But closer scrutiny shows that almost all of the confirmed funding from last summer’s £445 million Spending Review settlement is concentrated in South East Wales between Cardiff and Newport. Six of the seven new stations announced are located in that corridor, with the remaining one in Deeside, North Wales.
Mid Wales receives no direct benefit from the confirmed funding.

It has led to criticism from Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Montgomeryshire, Cllr Glyn Preston, who said that we are being left behind.

He highlights that there is no commitment to a new station at Carno on the Cambrian Line, and it “does not even feature in the long-term pipeline document”. There have also been local calls for another station to be added between Welshpool and Newtown.

He also claims that there is no funding for much-needed signalling upgrades on the Cambrian Line or the Heart of Wales Line, improvements that would increase reliability and allow more frequent services. There is also no funding for additional passing loops that would enable service expansion on these largely single-track rural routes.

“Mid Wales cannot keep being treated as an afterthought,” said Cllr Preston.

“There is no new station for Carno, no funding for signalling upgrades on the Cambrian line, no additional passing places to allow more frequent services, and no electrification of the Marches Line.

“Labour talks about a generational transformation, but the confirmed funding is £445 million already announced last year and almost none of it is coming to Montgomeryshire. The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for investment in Mid Wales, even in the face of Labour indifference.”

The new stations will be Magor and Undy, Llanwern, Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Cardiff Parkway in south Wales and a station to serve Deeside Industrial Park in the north.