Heart of Wales line: Call for more frequent services

The Heart of Wales line links rural communities and towns across mid Wales and the borders

The rail line between Swansea and Shrewsbury needs more frequent services and modernised trains to cater for cyclists and families, a transport academic has said.

Stuart Cole, chairman of the route travellers' association, said the Heart of Wales line needed £20m investment.

The line stops at towns including Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire and Knighton in Powys.

Transport for Wales said it planned to run an extra train from December 2022.

It said it was refurbishing carriages and planning to improve provision for cyclists.

The Cynghordy Viaduct carries the Heart of Wales line between Llandovery and Llanwrtyd

The Heart of Wales line is mainly single track, with four daily services each way.

Prof Cole, emeritus professor of transport at the University of South Wales and chairman of the Heart of Wales Travellers' Association, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there should be a two-hourly service each way throughout a 12-hour operating day.

He also said the carriages should be modernised to cater for cyclists and visiting families, with flexible ticket options and more integration with the Traws Cymru bus network.

"This can bring economic growth by encouraging people to travel to the area, where the biggest sources of income are tourism and agriculture," he said.

"Walking and cycling are very important activities in Carmarthenshire and Powys. People come for the open air."

More than 30 stations are served by the line, some of which are request stops

Prof Cole said flexible fares would allow a tourist to go back and forth on the Heart of Wales Line and use Traws Cymru buses.

He said 87% of all journeys made into mid Wales were by car and a more connected and frequent train service with fewer changes for passengers coming from England would reduce that.

He has submitted his views to the union connectivity review, the UK government-commissioned project considering the current state of transport connectivity and the case for future investment.

A spokesman for Transport for Wales said: "We're currently in the process of refurbishing the Class 153 units that we use on the Heart of Wales Line, providing a better experience for our customers.

"We have plans to significantly improve provision for cyclists on trains on the route - we'll have more details on this soon.

"With regards to integration with bus services, we're working on plans to achieve this in the future, as part of the Welsh government's aspiration to create a more integrated public transport network."