New railway station plans for Wales chosen for scrutiny

Twelve new railway stations could be opened in Wales if the plans are judged to be viable.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates has written to AMs saying the sites have been chosen from a list of 46 proposals for more detailed scrutiny.

They include new suburban stations in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.

The Deeside industrial park, Llangefni on Anglesey, Bow Street near Aberystwyth and St Clears, Carmarthenshire, are also on the list.

Priority railway station proposals

• Cardiff: Ely Mill/Victoria Park

• Cardiff: Newport Road/Rover Way

• Cardiff: St Mellons

• Newport: Llanwern

• Swansea: Cockett

• Swansea: Landore

• St Clears

• Deeside Industrial Park/Northern Gateway

• North Wrexham

• South Wrexham

• Llangefni

• Bow Street

Ceredigion council has claimed there is "considerable support" for a new station at Bow Street

In his letter, Mr Skates said the first part of a three-stage process had whittled the list of 46 down to 12.

"The more costly work on producing detailed cost estimates for a new station and timetable modelling is only carried out on the highest priorities," he wrote.

"The stage two assessment will look in more detail at the strength of the financial and economic case for a new railway station, including advice from Network Rail on deliverability."

Bow Street, Llangefni and St Clears had stations open during the 19th Century railway boom but saw them close in the 1960s in the Beeching cuts, which reduced Britain's rail network by a third.