Fifth daily train to run on Heart of Wales line from December

From 14 December, passengers travelling between Swansea and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales line will have access to a fifth daily train.

Transport for Wales is adding a new midday service in both directions, increasing the number of trains from four to five per day. The Heart of Wales line runs through Llanelli, Llandeilo, Llandrindod Wells and Knighton, connecting rural towns with Swansea and Shrewsbury.

The change is part of the UK-wide December rail timetable update. Journey planners have already been updated, and passengers can now check times for travel after 14 December.

Funding and political agreement

The extra service is being funded through the Welsh Government’s 2025–26 Budget deal with Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds.

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said:

“The Heart of Wales line provides a spectacular and scenic journey for tourists but is also a vital link for rural communities in Mid Wales, so this will be welcome news for residents and visitors alike.”

“Railway connections are vital in driving prosperity. These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services across Wales and the Borders.”

“This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.”

Transport for Wales said the new service would give passengers more flexibility for day trips and essential journeys, and help support the local tourism economy.

What it means for passengers

The new train will run midday every day, giving people more choice when planning journeys.

Passengers are being advised to check journey planners for travel after 14 December to see the updated timetable.

#additionalTrains #heartOfWales #janeDoddsMs #kenSkatesMs #llandeilo #llanelli #swansea #trains #transportForWales #welshGovernment

Rail passenger group demands clarity on new Heart of Wales Line timetable

The Heart of Wales Line Travellers Association (HOWLTA) has written to the head of TfW James Price, to ask when the new timetable will be introduced and how it will be publicised.

“We very much welcome the re-introduction of the five trains a day service on the Line”, said HOWLTA’s Chairman Prof. Stuart Cole. Funding for the increased service was agreed as part of the Welsh Government’s budget settlement earlier this year.

“However”, he continued, ‘We appreciate that the provision of funding is only part of the development of a five trains per day service. There are obviously technical and management issues to be addressed . . . Therefore we are keen to see concrete and timely progress towards the introduction of the increased service.”

He noted that the five trains a day service prior to the end of 2024 was beset with problems of reliability. He said “we believe that with the benefit of that experience [the problems] can be overcome. For example we trust the you have overcome the staffing issues which affected the service, and that you will make arrangements to use reliable rolling stock and avoid it being reallocated to other routes as happened previously.”

He also stressed that the new timetable must aim to meet the needs of as many potential users as possible – local people, tourists and those attending meetings/conferences in Llandrindod Wells which is ideally located for gatherings of people from north, mid and south Wales. It should also improve connectivity with services to e.g. Birmingham, Manchester and London.

“HoWLTA would be happy to assist TfW with any ideas, advice or feedback that could help to progress this project,” he concluded.

Meanwhile TfW say they are committed to increasing the frequency of trains on the line.

A spokesperson for TfW said: “We recognise the importance of the Heart of Wales line to the communities it serves and the wider economy, and we are committed to increase services to 5 through trains a day from December 2025.

“We are in regular correspondence with the Heart of Wales Line Travellers Association (HOWLTA) and other interested stakeholders and will continue to update them on the detailed timings at the earliest opportunity once these have been validated by Network Rail.”

#Ammanford #HeartOfWales #Llandeilo #Llandovery #Llanelli #ProfessorStuartCole #trains #TransportForWales

MP calls for devolved rail powers after ‘shocking’ £6.6bn project delivers nothing for Wales

The decision follows a pattern of major rail projects (including HS2) being wrongly classed as “England and Wales” schemes, meaning Wales is denied the funding it would otherwise receive through the Barnett formula. The classification was revealed by local Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick following a written question in Parliament, which was answered by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Simon Lightwood.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, David Chadwick MP condemned the decision as “shocking” and called on the UK Government to urgently devolve full powers over rail infrastructure to Wales, so future English projects can no longer be used to side-line Welsh investment.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats estimate that Wales would have received over £360 million in consequential funding from the East-West Rail project alone. Independent experts estimate Wales has lost over £4 billion as a result of similar misclassifications in recent years.

The party continues to campaign for this project to be reclassified as “England only,” for a fair funding settlement for Wales, for full devolution of transport infrastructure to the Senedd, and for sustained investment in Welsh rail services, including long-overdue improvements to the Heart of Wales Line.

Commenting, David Chadwick MP said: “It is simply indefensible that Wales continues to be frozen out of hundreds of millions in rail funding for projects that do not lay a single centimetre of track in our country. We saw this with HS2, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, and now again with East-West Rail. Time after time, Wales is left behind.

“It is clear that someone in this labour government is out to deliberately short-change Wales. The only way forward is to devolve full powers over rail infrastructure to Wales so we can make decisions that serve our own communities.

“Wales must be able to invest properly in its own rail network. That includes delivering serious improvements to the Heart of Wales Line, which has been neglected for decades.

“Investment in lines such as the Heart of Wales Line would make a meaningful difference to Wales, unlike a rail project hundreds of miles away between Oxford and Cambridge. This line is a lifeline for rural communities, supporting jobs, education and tourism, and it deserves the same level of ambition and investment as rail services elsewhere in the UK.”

Meanwhile a former Swansea Labour MP has also criticised the UK Labour Government for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s latest £15.6bn transport investment announcement, where she missed Wales out entirely.

Geraint Davies called for the Welsh Government and Welsh MPs to “step-up so Wales can get it’s fair share” and for Wales’ rail infrastructure to be devolved.

#DavidChadwickMP #HeartOfWales #railFunding #railInvestment #Railway #UKGovernment #WelshLiberalDemocrats

Trains cancelled after person killed on railway lines near Llanelli

British Transport Police say they are working to identify the individual as part of their investigations into the incident near Llanelli.

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to the line in Llanelli at 9.40am this morning (21 March) following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

“Paramedics also attended however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are working to identify the person and establish the full circumstances behind their death.”

(Lead image: Transport for Wales)

#BritishTransportPolice #HeartOfWales #Llanelli #trains