SUB-national transport body Midlands Connect (MC) has unveiled its blueprint which, it says, will improve rail services along the Welsh Marches route, as well as into mid and west Wales.
The proposal is a suite of upgrades for rail improvements in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, as well as parts of Wales, and has been created in conjunction with the Welsh Government.
Between Chester and Shrewsbury, MC is proposing faster and a higher frequency of trains, with greater direct connectivity between Telford and Chester. It also wants to review accessibility to train stations, and in doing so identify any barriers people may have in using them for the “first and last mile” of their journey.
For the Welsh Marches route comes a plan to cut journey times between Cardiff and Hereford to under 60 minutes, with the aim of encouraging more people out of their vehicles and onto the train.
MC will investigate the feasibility of stations between Hereford and Abergavenny to provide better rail access to the rural communities along the Herefordshire/Monmouthshire border.
On the Heart of Wales line, where services run between Shrewsbury and Swansea or Llanelli, MC wants to see faster trains, plus a higher frequency of services. It also proposes enhancing the effectiveness and comfort of the interchange at Shrewsbury. Because of the remote nature of this route, MC also wants improved bus
