Rail passengers in Monmouthshire could soon be better connected to destinations in England as Transport for Wales announces plans for a direct service to Bristol.

While services in the border county already run north of Abergavenny, into Hereford, and from Chepstow to Lydney, Cheltenham and beyond, the operator has now unveiled plans to launch its own service to Bristol.

In a statement, the constituency Senedd Member described the move as a welcomed step for those living in the area.

“This is certainly a welcome step in improving rail access for my constituents in and around Chepstow, and for those living in Severnside,” said Peter Fox MS.

“We hear constantly of the desire by Welsh Government to get people out of their cars, and onto public transport, but in rural areas, that isn’t possible at the moment due to a lack of services.”

“These proposals, if accepted, will go a long way to making those improvements for locals, whilst also acting as a hopeful precursor to the ‘Burns’ stations being delivered.”

The idea, confirmed by the Transport Secretary, Ken Skates MS, is for a service between Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads to operate every two hours. This, he says, would plug the gap between services currently operated by Great Western Railway.

But Mr. Fox has called on the operator and the Welsh Government to work together to progress the new stations that set the stage for further improvements in the area.

“None of this would have been possible without the work of the previous UK Conservative Government, who laid the foundations for the current work being done.”

“I will continue to monitor this closely, and will continue to campaign and work towards the Burns stations becoming a reality.”