The Welsh Government has been urged to cancel proposed cuts to train services on the Heart of Wales line.

Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds called on the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates MS, to save services on the line, which she described as a 'lifeline for our rural communities'.

Under proposed plans from the Welsh Government-owned Transport for Wales, services on the Heart of Wales line will be cut from five trains a day to four from December.

Two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod have also been scheduled for removal.

Last Friday, November 8 a meeting was held by the Liberal Democrats at the Knighton Community Centre, which saw more than 100 residents and community leaders gather to voice their opposition to the planned reduction in services.

The Lib Dems have now called on the Welsh Government to invest in the line, instead of cutting services.

The party has also created a petition which local residents are encouraged to sign.

Speaking in the Siambr on the importance of the Heart of Wales line, Ms Dodds said that it acted as a "lifeline for our rural communities, by supporting our high streets and the tourism industry while also connecting residents to essential services elsewhere.

"Yet despite its importance to the area, the line is one of the least reliable routes in the country.

"With over 2,000 last year caused by faults on outdated diesel trains.

"Instead of delivering much needed investment, Transport for Wales seem determined to cut costs by blaming 'low usage' on a line plagued by breakdowns and delays.

"This lack of understanding from the Welsh Government is typical of the neglect that Mid Wales has faced from Cardiff Bay, but now we are saying no more.

"No more cuts to essential services in our rural communities, it’s time Welsh Labour Ministers realise that investment is the key to success."