Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has taken the Welsh Labour government to task over changes to the Cambrian Line timetable which has seen services cut, causing misery for commuters and local residents.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mr ap Gwynfor, who has been campaigning against the downgrading of services on the Cambrian Coast Line, said that the Welsh government should be actively investing in transport links across north west and mid Wales.

The Plaid Cymru MS previously accused the Labour government of overseeing a catalogue of cuts to public transport across Gwynedd, accusing rail operator Transport for Wales (TfW) of being indifferent to the lived experience of his constituents. 

Mr ap Gwynfor has been lobbied by constituents who live along the Cambrian Coast and who have been directly impacted by the withdrawal of services, causing difficulties for commuters, students, businesses, and the local visitor economy.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:  

The Cabinet Secretary will be aware of my concerns at the changes to the Cambrian Line timetable, following previous questions and engagements on the issue. The changes that have come into force are proving to be extremely detrimental to my constituents – people who can’t travel to work, can’t go shopping or to see family and friends, and essentially pushing people into more expensive and environmentally damaging car use. The changes were justified based on low passenger use – something the Cabinet Secretary himself said in a previous answer to me – but surely the Cabinet Secretary knows that for most of the last ten years the line has been disrupted – from the reconstruction of Pont Briwet ten years ago, a five-month closure because of weather, winter closures due to Barmouth Bridge redevelopment, Covid and other impacts. So, you’ll understand why I and my constituents doubt the case that has been put forward. We need to see a line that answers the needs of the residents. So, do you accept that the changes have been detrimental, and will you commit to ensure that a more regular train service is re-instated on the Cambrian Line?

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS added:

I really don’t think that those rubber stamping these cuts have any idea of the adverse impact their decisions are having on the lives of people living along the Cambrian Coast. I have heard directly from constituents who tell me of the challenges they now face as a consequence of these ill-thought-out changes to the timetable. From Pwllheli to Aberdyfi, communities which rely on the Cambrian Line are being airbrushed from the decision-making process, their voices silenced, and opinions disregarded. These cuts are forcing people back into their cars or having to rely on the generosity of family and friends to get them from A to B – whilst the government tell us to make more use of public transport. People are being inconvenienced by perennial changes to public transport services in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, changes which ultimately leads to poorer services for our communities. The government should be mindful that TfW is mandated to operate across the whole of Wales, yet people in north west and mid Wales might justifiably conclude that these areas are disproportionally disadvantaged.