Radnorshire Left Behind as Rail Funding Bypasses Mid Wales & Borders

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the UK and Welsh Governments’ latest rail announcement, warning that Radnorshire has once again been overlooked in major rail investment plans.

While the Prime Minister and First Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’ long-term rail vision this week, 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.

Radnorshire receives no direct benefit from the confirmed funding.

There is no additional investment for the Heart of Wales Line, which serves communities including Llandrindod Wells and Knighton and acts as a vital north–south link through rural Wales. There is no funding for infrastructure upgrades, additional passing places to increase service frequency, or improvements to signalling and resilience along the route.

The Marches Line, which connects South, Mid and North Wales and links communities with Shrewsbury, the Midlands and Manchester, also sees no commitment to electrification or major upgrades under this announcement.

The much-publicised £14 billion figure refers to the estimated cost of a long-term pipeline of potential projects identified by Transport for Wales over a generation. It is not a funded package and remains subject to future Spending Reviews. The current Spending Review settlement runs to the financial year 2029/30, and no additional funding has been committed beyond what was announced last summer.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats argue that once again rural Mid Wales is being asked to wait while investment is concentrated elsewhere, despite long-standing infrastructure constraints holding back connectivity and economic growth.

Commenting, David Chadwick, Welsh Lib Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said:

“Radnorshire cannot keep being treated as an afterthought.

“There is no new funding for the Heart of Wales Line, no commitment to increasing services, and no investment in the infrastructure improvements that would make the line more reliable and better suited to modern needs.

“Labour talks about a generational transformation, but the confirmed funding is £445 million, which was already announced last year, and it is all going towards a few stations around Cardiff and Newport.

"The government announcing big projects but not committing funding to them is exactly what the Conservatives were doing before they lost the general election, and now Labour are repeating the same mistakes; it's no wonder people's trust in politics is low. 

“If we are serious about connecting Wales internally and supporting rural economic growth, then Radnorshire must be part of the plan, not permanently left on the platform.”

Jane Dodds MS, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member for Mid and West Wales & Candidate in Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd added:

“The Heart of Wales Line is a lifeline for Radnorshire. Last year, I secured £1.25 million to restore the fifth service a day and fund vital maintenance improvements, because without sustained pressure, rural routes are too often overlooked.

“That funding did not appear by accident. It happened because the Liberal Democrats were prepared to fight for Mid Wales. This latest announcement contains nothing new for the Heart of Wales Line, only shows the Welsh Government won’t act to invest in Mid Wales without the Lib Dems in the room to push them.”

ENDS