CEREDIGION MP Ben Lake has criticised the Welsh Government's 4.9 per cent hike in rail fees - saying mid and west Wales commuters are missing out yet again.

Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters MS, announced on Wednesday that train tickets will be going up 4.9 per cent from March, which will allow Transport for Wales, which is wholly owned by the Welsh Government, to make improvements to services in south Wales.

Meanwhile, mid Wales is still waiting for an hourly service between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth, which was first promised in 2015 and the introduction of new trains on the line.

Reacting to the announcement, Ceredigion MP, Ben Lake said: “Passengers on the Cambrian Line are still waiting for Transport for Wales to deliver on their promises of new carriages and increased services between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, so it’s hard to understand how the Labour Government can justify a 4.9% increase in rail fares.

“Even more perplexing is the expectation for passengers to pay, despite the recent pledge of an additional £125 million by the Welsh Government to Transport for Wales’s budget this year.

"While they may justify this as an investment in rail services in the south, those in mid Wales are missing out yet again.

“We also desperately need the UK Government to release the £3.9bn denied to Wales from England’s HS2 to invest in public transport infrastructure across Wales and ensure parity between communities.”

Last year, Mr Lake described the train service between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth as being 'no better than a cattle truck' and urged Transport for Wales bosses to make improvements to the line.