Community Rallies Against Cuts to Mid Wales Rail Services

Over 100 people attended a meeting in Knighton, Powys on Thursday, November 7 organised by Liberal Democrat representatives Jane Dodds MS and David Chadwick MP.

Over 100 people attended a meeting in Knighton, to register their opposition to proposed cuts to rail services in Mid Wales.

Also in attendance was Knighton and Beguildy County Councillor Corinna Kenyon-Wade, and representatives from Transport for Wales and the Heart of Wales Line Travellers Association (HOWLTA). 

Transport for Wales (TfW) has to proposed cutting the service along the Heart of Wales line from five trains a day to four and removing the two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod Wells.

The line, which runs from Shrewsbury through Southern Powys and into Carmarthenshire before terminating in Llanelli has survived multiple closure proposals in the past, but residents worry the latest downgrade puts the line’s long-term viability at risk.

They have also complained that the line has suffered repeated delays and cancellations due to the unreliability of the diesel trains that have been in place since the 1980s.

A recent Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats revealed that there were 2,317 train breakdowns reported in 2023, with over 2,000 services being cancelled as a result of train failure.

Unlike all other lines in Wales, which are in the process of receiving new trains, TfW does not intend to replace the rolling stock on the Heart of Wales line, despite repeated breakdowns.

In addition to allowing residents of Mid Wales to commute to Llanelli, Swansea, Hereford and Shrewsbury; the line is also considered vital for the local tourism industry serving as a gateway to the Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons National Park.

The line is also considered an attraction in itself, and in 2024 it was named one of the top ten train rides in Europe by Lonely Planet.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Welsh Government to scrap the planned cuts to the line, highlighting that Labour has been calling on people to use cars less and are spending millions on metro projects in South Wales, yet are allowing cuts to public transport in rural Wales.

They have also started a petition against the cuts visit https://www.brlibdems.uk/campaigns/improve-heart-of-wales-line

Mid and West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: “The Heart of Wales line is absolutely vital to the communities of Mid Wales and the Liberal Democrats stand firmly against these cuts.

“It is outrageous that TfW are blaming the cuts on low usage when most people we speak to say they aren’t using the Line due to how unreliable it is and TfW refuse to buy more modern trains to stop the cancellations.

“I will be pushing the Welsh Labour Government to step in a cancel these cuts.”

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick added: “The Heart of Wales line is vital to the tourism industry across Mid Wales, and all the small businesses supported by it. This is in addition to those who rely on the line to commute or access public services.

“It is hypocritical that we have seen the Welsh Labour Government tell people they need to drive less yet are allowing cuts to vital public transport services across Mid Wales.

“With Labour spending millions on metro projects in South Wales, they can afford to find the extra money to protect the already very limited rail services we have here in Mid Wales.

“Rural residents are not second-class citizens; they pay their taxes like everyone else in the country and should be able to rely on access to public services.”