The Welsh Government has been criticised for securing ‘literally nothing at all’ for rail investment west of Cardiff.

Politicians in Cardiff Bay quizzed the Transport Secretary, Ken Skates, on rail services across mid and west Wales on Wednesday.

Mid and west Wales MS Cefin Campbell raised the issue, referring to a number of examples where investment was badly needed, including alleviating chronic delays on the Heart of Wales line, improving overcrowding and ensuring more regular services on the Cambrian Line and building a new railway station in St Clears.

In June, the UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she had delivered everything the Welsh Government had asked for as part of a £445 million package in her Spending Review.

Referring to this, Mr Campbell said in the Senedd: “Why did you ask for nothing – literally nothing at all – to invest in any railway west of Cardiff?

"Because the truth is, not only has the Spending Review delivered very little for railways in Wales, literally nothing has been won for railways in the region I represent.

"Do you think, Cabinet Secretary, that the people of Mid and West Wales deserve less?"

Mr Skates responded saying he thought the question was ‘wholly unfair’ adding: “For years, we haven't been able to progress schemes, not just in south-west Wales, mid Wales, but also across the whole of Wales. We haven't been able to pursue them unless we have funded them.

“Investment in seven new stations will be taken forward once we are able to get them to that detailed design space with the full business case available, and we will be seeking to draw down funding in future spending rounds.

“I'm not going to play regions off against each other.”

Sam Kurtz took issue with that, saying: “It's quite disingenuous when you're saying that you're not pitting regions of Wales off against each other when there was a project ready to go at St Clears, I'd met with TfW and DfT officials on the site, there was a project ready to go, yet five stations within 13 miles of each other in Cardiff and Newport get the green light before a project in west Wales that is ready to be delivered.”

Jane Dodds MS asked when improvements will be made to the Heart of Wales and Cambrian lines.

She said: “On the Cambrian line, we were promised an hourly service, and we still have a two-hourly service.

“You talked about north Wales having two trains an hour; we dream of that.

“We'd like the Cambrian line to be hourly throughout the year, not just in the summer months.”

Mr Skates responded: “Low passenger usage is a major issue to contend with.

“On the Cambrian line, Transport for Wales are now operating more services following the May timetable change: a new 16:30 service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth has now been initiated, along with more Sunday services.”

Mr Skates added that performance of services on both lines had improved, with more services on time and fewer cancellations.