Fishguard won’t be getting any extra trains in the immediate future despite an Assembly enterprise committee’s recommendations, Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies is warning.
A two-month enquiry by the Welsh Assembly’s Enterprise and Learning Committee said that the town should have more than two trains a day – a proposal backed by regional transport consortium SWITTCH, local petitioners and the North Pembrokeshire Transport Forum.
But Mr Davies says that the Welsh Assembly Government is ignoring all the recommendations and pleas.
“I am bitterly disappointed to hear that the Deputy First Minister is refusing to lay on these much needed extra services,” said Mr Davies.
“They admit that there is a good business case for more trains and that they could be laid on straightaway but they are refusing to do so.”
At the moment, Fishguard is served by just two boat trains a day. A 1,300 signature petition collected by local school pupils Sam Faulkner and Joanne Griffiths and handed to the Welsh Assembly petitions committee by Mr Davies called for this to be increased to five trains a day.
SWITTCH also threw its weight behind the suggestion and the Assembly’s cross party committee for enterprise agreed.
But in a letter to the chairman of the petitions committee, Ieuan Wyn Jones spells out why the extra services won’t be arriving any time soon.
“He agrees that there is a good business case to answer for these extra services but says they will have to wait until the line is redoubled between Gowerton and Loughor,” explained Mr Davies.
“The additional trains are not reliant on the redoubling but a number of other improvements do depend upon it, so he says it “could be seen as premature to prioritise Fishguard’s needs.”
“He seems to be determined to ignore the overwhelming case for extra trains to Fishguard.”
