Politician slams lack of West Wales rail investment

southwalesguardian.co.uk · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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A politician has slammed the lack of funding for rail improvements. The criticism comes after a new rail vision, jointly backed by the UK Prime Minister and First Minister as part of Transport for Wales’ (TfW) long-term plan, saw most of the £445 million confirmed in last summer’s Spending Review directed at the Cardiff-Newport corridor, leaving out Pembrokeshire and west Wales. Of the seven new stations announced, six are in the Cardiff to Newport area, with the seventh in Deeside, north Wales. Sandra Jervis, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, said: "West Wales has once again been left watching from the sidelines while investment is concentrated in a small corridor between Cardiff and Newport. "Welsh Labour is falsely claiming a £14 billion commitment when the confirmed funding is just £445 million, which was already announced last year and largely focused on one part of Wales. "Announcing big projects without the funding to deliver them is exactly what the Conservatives were doing before they lost the general election and is the kind of politics people are fed up with." Lines serving Pembrokeshire and surrounding areas - such as the West Wales Line, Cambrian Line, and Heart of Wales Line - are not included in the new investment. The Welsh Lib Dems say the frequently mentioned £14 billion figure represents a long-term pipeline of potential TfW projects over a generation, not a funded plan, and is subject to future Spending Review decisions. They say no additional money has been committed to projects outside the current financial envelope, which runs to 2029/30. The Welsh Liberal Democrats argue that this continues a trend of underinvestment in West Wales, leaving communities with limited services, ageing infrastructure, and slow journey times. They have also reiterated calls for devolved rail infrastructure powers, arguing that current arrangements have cost Wales billions in lost funding due to UK Government classifications. Ms Jervis said: "If this is meant to be a generational transformation, it must include the whole nation. "West Wales deserves reliable, modern rail links that support tourism, local businesses and economic growth, especially if we are serious about tackling depopulation and growing our regional economy."