Kirsty Williams backs improvements Heart of Wales line

5.05.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 16th Nov 2005

Welsh Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Kirsty Williams, has used her short debate at the Assembly today to throw the spotlight on the often overlooked train service linking Swansea and Shrewsbury - The Heart of Wales line.

In her speech she called on the government not to rest on its laurels once work on the Vale of Glamorgan and Ebbw Valley lines has been completed. She said it was vital that the transport links through the centre of Wales - which unlike the North and South coastal belts isn't served by a high-speed road network - were improved.

Ms Williams said: "We are without doubt fortunate that the line through the Heart of Wales is still beating. It survived Beeching, it has endured through the irresponsible shambles that the Tories made of privatising the National network.

"This is a fantastic time for railways in Wales. A time of growth that even the most enthusiastic doubted they'd ever see. The new link to the Airport is improving the links between Wales' rail network and the world at large. The Ebbw Valley Railway - when it finally opens - will create a mass of new opportunities for people in one of the most deprived valleys to access the jobs available in the cities of Cardiff and Newport. But we should not be content to see these as the end of the line.

"This line has played a central role in the past, and must be at the heart of our thinking when we start to look at how we can further improve our rail network in the future."

Ms Williams met with the Heart of Wales line forum on Thursday, and took the train from Llanwrtyd Wells to Shrewsbury. In her debate she called on the Minister to back redesignating the line as a Community Railway, and supported improvements to rolling stock, timetabling and the development of a tourist service giving people access to all that Mid Wales has to offer.