The lack of an hourly train service through Montgomeryshire shows the area is being forgotten about, a politician has said.

Changes to the service on the Cambrian Line were announced in 2014, which would have seen an hourly service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.

The plans have, however, faced repeated delays, with the latest delaying the introduction of the hourly service until 2024 – a decade after the announcement.

Speaking in the Senedd, Welsh Liberal Democrat Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds raised the delays and said they were a sign of Mid Wales being forgotten about in Cardiff Bay.

“We really need the Labour-Plaid Cymru partnership in Cardiff Bay to prioritise this route, it is essential for businesses and the public in Mid Wales,” said Ms Dodds.

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“The fact it has been continuously delayed for almost a decade shows that once again Mid Wales is being forgotten about by Labour.

“With Transport for Wales now fully nationalized and owned by the Welsh Government, there is no excuse."

Ms Dodds said an hourly service stopping at all stations along the Cambrian Line – which would include Machynlleth, Caersws, Newtown and Welshpool, is essential to encourage more passengers to use the railway instead of cars and would also play an important role for businesses in making connections from Shrewsbury easier.

“If Labour wants to put a ban on all new roadbuilding the least they can do is ensure we have well-functioning public transport networks,” added Ms Dodds.

“I am calling for the Welsh Government to prioritise the rollout of this service and put an end to repeated delays once and for all.”

The Cambrian Line has been the subject of controversy with a Welshpool Rail user group last year describing the service on the line as “unacceptable”.

The Shrewsbury Aberystwyth Rail Liaison Committee cited multiple delays, inadequate number of carriages, overcrowding and problems with bus replacement services in Welshpool.