Following news that trains could run from Abergavenny directly to London and Magor might get its own station, a local politician is seeking clarity on Welsh Government public transport priorities.

Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, Peter Fox, has asked the Welsh government to outline their priorities on public transport improvements across the country, noting his “concerns about resilience on our Welsh railway lines”.

His letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport showcased his hopes of a significant increase in resources to allow for key improvements to take place. However, Mr. Fox “remains sceptical about any additional money being forthcoming” based on the financial statements from the UK Labour Government so far.

Recommendations have been published as to how potential funding could be spent in Wales, and those relevant to Peter’s constituency were showcased to the Cabinet Secretary. This included improvements to the Marches line (North to South) and Burns report stations (Cardiff East, Cardiff Parkway, Newport West, Maindy, Llanwern and Magor.)

These recommendations would “lead to improved local services, more stations for commuters, and improved journey times between Manchester and Cardiff” said Mr Fox. This would mean local stations can be removed from long distance services and replaced by Metros, making both short and long distance journeys more reliably on time.

The Monmouth MS wants to be clear on what the Welsh Governments priorities are for Welsh Rail and whether his suggestions will be included on their priority list, whether additional funding is granted not.

Mr Fox proclaims that we need to see improvements to our railway systems, and urges the Welsh government to ensure these are delivered as he proceeds to “work for [his] constituents to ensure they have the best access to public transport as possible.”