Evidence from Catherine Macduff– WBF 41

To the Enterprise Committee
In response to your public consultation about the future of rail services in mid and West Wales, I would like to make two comments:

1. I would like to add my support to the calls for an hourly rail service from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury. As a user of this line, I am aware that there is a consistently large demand for these rail services. Even more useful would be an improvement to the line itself which would cut journey time. At present it takes 2 hours to get from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury, and 3 hours to Birmingham. The distances are not huge and it should be possible to upgrade the speed of these journeys.

2. I am not just concerned with journeys to and from England! I would very much like to see a North - South rail link within Wales. I support the reconstruction of the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line, either by restoring its original route or by rerouting it, depending which is the more feasible option. I am surprised that the Welsh Assembly Government has not made North - South transport links a priority in Wales, politically and socially as a way of unifying the country, and economically as a means of promoting development and trying to keep Welsh spending within Wales. At the moment, transport is focused on the East. Today if I want to have a day return shopping trip I have the choice of Shrewsbury or Birmingham. I would rather be able to choose to go to Cardiff. Cardiff should be benefiting from such business as this.

Yours faithfully,
Catherine Macduff