Mohammad Asghar, National Assembly Member for South Wales East, has again attacked the Assembly Government’s failure to open a direct rail link between Ebbw Vale and Newport.
Heading into the final weeks of the Assembly term, Mr Asghar raised the “long-running issue of the direct rail link between Ebbw Vale and Newport” during a debate on Wales’ National Transport Plan.
Mr Asghar said: “In September 2008, it was announced that the service would be fully operational in time for the 2010 Eisteddfod and the Ryder Cup. It simply has not happened”.
The Shadow Minister for Heritage & Equality asked the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy & Transport to outline “the most recent discussions that he has had regarding the rail link” and emphasised that a feasibility study from Network Rail is due to be published this month.
After the debate, Mr Asghar added: “I am very disappointed the Deputy First Minister failed to answer my questions on the rail link.
“The Assembly Government has been promising that the rail link would become operational for years; but then we keep hearing of problems and delays. This rail-link is so important yet this Labour-Plaid Assembly Government has categorically failed to get it up and running”.
