The Welsh Government has said the cost of reopening railway lines between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth and Afonwen would be in the region of £2 billion.

Senedd members debated a petition, signed by 13,000 people, calling for the reopening of the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen and Afonwen to Bangor railway line on 18 June.

As part of the campaign, in September 2023, Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn, the petitioner, set off on a 10-day trek from Bangor to the Senedd.

Addressing the calls made by the petition, Labour’s Lee Waters told the Senedd: “We do know about rail that it is very expensive. We all deeply regret the decision to get rid of these railway lines in the first place. It shouldn't have happened. But now it has happened, the cost of restoring them is very significant.”

Mr Waters, a former transport minister, said the feasibility study put the indicative costs at restoring the route at about £2bn, warning: “That’s £2bn we don’t have to spend on all the other transport priorities we have in Wales.”

He pointed to a light rail and coach alternative – costing an estimated £4.5m to set up and £2m a year to run – which would shave some 90 minutes off current north-south trips.

Calling for £4bn “owed” to Wales over HS2, Plaid Cymru’s Siân Gwenllian suggested “not a penny” of the £445m announced in the UK spending review will come to west Wales.

Responding to the spending review announcement last week, Mid and West Wales MS, Cefin Campbell, said: "South east Wales will receive five new stations near Cardiff and Newport, while north east Wales will see improved links near Wrexham.

"West Wales gets nothing.

"It's the same old story. Wales gets little, west Wales gets less.

"Labour are ignoring, letting down and holding down the people I represent in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion."

Ken Skates said he would not be playing any regions off against each other and that the Welsh Government is committed to improving transport links in all parts of Wales.

The transport secretary pointed to £1bn invested in the valleys lines and south Wales metro, as well as the Network North Wales project to which £13m had been committed in May.

Mr Skates told the Senedd: “We're rolling out £800m of new trains across the whole of Wales. That will deliver an 80% increase in the number of trains being used.”

Turning to the petition, he said the funding required to reopen former lines – as attractive a proposition as it may be – would be enormous.

Interjecting, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: "The north Wales metro doesn't benefit the communities I represent.

"And you mentioned the new trains that are coming online, but you've cut trains on the Cambrian line, so there are no new trains for us there."

Mr Skates accused Plaid Cymru of misinformation on the £4bn “owed” from HS2, arguing it would be more accurate to say Wales should have received £430m by end of this financial year.