Calls are being made for the reopening of the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen railway line to be included as part of the Welsh Government’s ambitious plans to tackle carbon emissions.

Mid and West Wales MS Cefin Campbell is calling for the proposed reopening of the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line to be included in the Welsh Government’s Metro plans for future public transport improvements.

Last week, Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, outlined the Welsh Government’s strategy to meet their target of undertaking 45 per cent of journeys by public transport or active travel by 2040.

The Welsh Government’s current proposals for south west Wales include a Swansea Bay Metro, preliminary work on a Hydrogen bus pilot in Pembrokeshire and a new railway station at St Clears delivered by Transport for Wales by 2024.

It was also confirmed that work has recently been commissioned to develop a new programme for mid Wales, saying: “"I have also recently commissioned work to develop a new programme for mid Wales to examine how our approach to Metros can be applied in this region and our more rural areas across the whole of Wales."

In response, Plaid Cymru MS Mr Campbell has renewed calls for the Carmarthen line to be reopened.

He said: “Whilst I welcome announcements by Welsh Government to encourage greater use of public transport, including a new station at St Clears, greater emphasis must be placed on the reopening of west Wales railways to get Welsh climate ambitions on track”.

“Wales’ currently disjointed railway infrastructure remains unfit for purpose, and in vast swathes of west Wales, residents are left with no choice but to rely on pollutive private transport to undertake their daily commutes.

“With almost a fifth of Wales’ carbon emissions generated from transport, it’s vital that an integrated, accessible transport map is placed at the heart of the Welsh Government’s ambitions. I have no doubt that reopening the Aberystwyth-Carmarthen line would radically change the Welsh public transport map – securing green transport and unprecedented benefits for the west Wales economy.

“Plaid Cymru have also long called for a metro in south west Wales, however it’s vital that such developments include rail and light rail services to our valley communities and cannot just be centred on Swansea and other major towns. As such, serious consideration must be given to re-introducing passenger services to both the Amman and Gwendraeth Valleys.”

A previous feasibility study published by Welsh Government in 2018 confirmed that re-opening the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth part of the route was technically feasible. This was followed by a further review by the campaign group, Traws Link Cymru, which claimed that

the cost of reopening the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen railway was around £620 million, 20 per cent less than the Welsh Government’s £775m price tag.

The report also found that 97 per cent of the original track bed was clear and that reopening was a realistic prospect.