A Powys village continues to keep its campaign on track to reopen a railway station which has been closed for almost 60 years.

People living in Carno say there is still a lot of fight in them after their application for funding from the UK Government was rejected last year.

Jeremy Barnes, chairman of the Carno Station Action Group, said: “The new station at Carno is more vital than ever now, as fuel costs rise and we strive to achieve net zero, so its rejection for UK Government funding was extremely disappointing.

"However, we are heartened by the Welsh Government’s determination to progress the scheme in spite of this setback and look forward to working with them and the UK Government in our continuing campaign.”

Lee Waters, the Welsh Government minister responsible for rail services, has written to Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP to request the UK Government to commit funding to the next stage of a scheme to develop the station between Caersws and Machynlleth.

The Department for Transport rejected the Welsh Government’s application for the Competition for New Stations Fund 3 citing issues with the timetable and additional costs to upgrade an adjacent level crossing.

Talks are ongoing between the Welsh Government and Carno Station Action Group about ways to move the proposal ahead including refining the proposed station layout.

Carno Station Action Group said that the proposed car park design and track modifications in the application were "unnecessary", and other design changes could save up to £3.2million of the original projected £7.7m cost - a saving of more than 40 per cent.

The Welsh Government said the time savings will result from the introduction of new trains, along with other potential infrastructure improvements along the Cambrian Line.

Carno Railway Station closed in 1963 and the Carno Station Action Group has been campaigning for a station to be reopened since 2002.