THE UK Government’s plan to retain control of the Aberystwyth to Birmingham service has been heavily criticised by Ceredigion’s AM.

Elin Jones AM has this week warned that the future Welsh rail franchise must be allowed to continue to operate cross-border services such as the Arriva Trains Wales service between Aberystwyth and the UK’s second biggest city.

The Welsh Government has recently launched a consultation on the future shape of rail services in Wales and the Borders, however the Westminster Government has stated that it intends to retain control of cross-border services.

This has raised fears that the new Wales franchise would be unable to continue to operate routes such as the successful Aberystwyth to Birmingham International service.

Passengers’ groups such as Railfuture have condemned the UK Government’s plan to prevent the Welsh franchise from operating cross-border routes, arguing that it would be hugely inconvenient for passengers to have to change trains when they crossed the Wales-England border.

In the Welsh Assembly last week, Ms Jones said the move would be “fundamentally against the interests of Welsh rail passengers”.

She said: “This threat to remove services from the Wales and Borders Franchise when it’s devolved from Westminster to the next Welsh Government has to be taken seriously.

See next week’s south editions for the full story