The freezing of rail fares in the Budget yesterday (Wednesday) does not do enough to address the route cause of unreliable services, according to a local Senedd member.

Concerns around the reliability of the Marches Line, which runs through Abergavenny and towards the north of England, were raised in the Welsh Parliament by Peter Fox, the MS for Monmouth.

He said there is still something missing on the Marches Line, with stations also at Cwmbran and Pontypool and New Inn, while other areas in the South Wales Valleys have had millions spent on them as part of the South Wales Metro project.

“I have taken a keen interest in rail over the past year, and have taken the opportunity to explore as many aspects of rail travel as possible,” Mr Fox said.

“By visiting the depot in Taff Wells, and also the Rail Operation Centre, I have seen the future of Welsh Rail Travel and how it all operates, but something is still missing on the Marches line.”

Almost a million passengers used the line in the year 2023/24, but there is a high level of delays on the track. Only 37.8 per cent of services arrived on time over a 12-week period in the summer of that year and there are repeated instances of track issues and defects within that time frame as well.

“For such a vital route, carrying passengers from South Wales towards Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and North Wales, there is an astonishingly large amount of delays, closures and inconvenience for passengers,” Mr Fox continued.

“We know that severe weather can cause issues, but that is not a reason for all the delays and general problems seen.”

“I will continue fighting for this improved resilience so that my residents, and commuters on the line, get the service they are paying for.”