More than 100 people attended a meeting in Knighton, Powys on November 7 to oppose cuts to Mid Wales rail services.
Transport for Wales (TfW) has reduced the Heart of Wales line service from five trains a day to four, and removed the two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod Wells.
The line, which runs from Shrewsbury through Southern Powys and into Carmarthenshire before terminating in Llanelli, has survived multiple closure proposals in the past.
However, according to the Wales Liberal Democrat press office, "residents worry the latest downgrade puts the line’s long-term viability at risk."
Repeated delays and cancellations due to the unreliability of the diesel trains, which have been in place since the 1980s, were also flagged by the press office.
TfW reportedly does not intend to replace the rolling stock on the Heart of Wales line, despite repeated breakdowns.
The line is useful for the local tourism industry, serving as a gateway to the Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons National Park, and was named one of the top ten train rides in Europe by Lonely Planet in 2024.
The Liberal Democrats' press office said the party was "calling on" the Welsh Government to forgo planned cuts to the line, adding that "Labour has been calling on people to use cars less and are spending millions on metro projects in South Wales, yet are allowing cuts to public transport in rural Wales."
Senedd Member Jane Dodds said: "The Heart of Wales line is absolutely vital to the communities of Mid Wales and the Liberal Democrats stand firmly against these cuts.
"It is outrageous that TfW are blaming the cuts on low usage when most people we speak to say they aren’t using the line due to how unreliable it is and TfW refuse to buy more modern trains to stop the cancellations.
"I will be pushing the Welsh Labour Government to step in and cancel these cuts."
Member of Parliament for Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, added: "The Heart of Wales line is vital to the tourism industry across Mid Wales, and all the small businesses supported by it.
"This is in addition to those who rely on the line to commute or access public services.
"It is hypocritical that we have seen the Welsh Labour Government tell people they need to drive less, yet are allowing cuts to vital public transport services across Mid Wales.
"With Labour spending millions on metro projects in South Wales, they can afford to find the extra money to protect the already very limited rail services we have here in Mid Wales.
"Rural residents are not second-class citizens; they pay their taxes like everyone else in the country and should be able to rely on access to public services."
A petition against the cuts has been started by the Liberal Democrats and can be viewed online at https://www.brlibdems.uk/campaigns/improve-heart-of-wales-line
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