Fears around potential impact of cuts to Heart of Wales Line on local businesses
A local politician has called on the Welsh Government to reverse cuts to train services on the Heart of Wales Line.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds asked the Cabinet Secretary for Transport Ken Skates to ask Transport For Wales to reconsider cutting services on the line.
The call comes after both Jane Dodds MS and Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick met with residents in Cilmery to hear their concerns about the cuts.
The number of trains on the line has been cut from five a day to four.
Two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod have also been scheduled for cancelation.
Commenting on the importance of protecting services on the HoWL, Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds said; the “people of Powys need to be reassured that they aren’t being forgotten about”.
“Over the weekend I spoke to a number of residents in Cilmeri who are understandably very worried about these cuts.
“The Welsh Government must remember that any reduction of services on the Heart of Wales line risks severing a vital lifeline for our rural communities and businesses, who rely on these trains to stay connected with the rest of Wales.
“That’s why we need an urgent change of direction when it comes to transport links in Mid Wales, instead of cuts and setbacks we need investment and support.”