Bid for faster trains on England-Wales border

Plans to improve public transport in communities on the England-Wales border have been released.

Put forward by transport body Midlands Connect, the proposals include road and rail improvements across the Shropshire Marches as well as Mid and West Wales.

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said the area was being "held back by a lack of public transport" and change was "crucial".

Midlands Connect will submit the plans to the government and request funding.

"This document outlines a series of road and rail projects that we believe could unlock the full economic potential of the Marches and Mid and West Wales," said the body's CEO, Maria Machancoses.

She said the plans had been drawn up in collaboration with the Welsh government but will need approval from Westminster.

The proposals:

• Faster and more frequent trains between Shrewsbury and Chester and across the Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Knighton

• Reducing journey times between Hereford and Cardiff to under an hour

• Increasing the number of stations between Hereford and Abergavenny

• Maintaining direct services to Birmingham on the Cambrian line and reduce journey times

• Improving access to train stations to encourage more passengers, including better integration with bus networks

For road users, the plans also suggest upgrading the A5 and delivering the Llanymynech - Pant bypass and improvements to the A49 "as soon as possible".

"All these improvements would help bind the union together but help Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin get the rail and road improvements they need," said Ms Machancoses.

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