The Welsh Liberal Democrats have attacked Labour over planned cuts to rail services across Mid Wales, stating the plans will reduce investment in communities, limit opportunities for local people and go against plans to tackle climate change.

MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick has called the proposed cuts to the Heart of Wales Line in his constituency “a disgrace”, while Mid & West Wales MS Jane Dodds has called on the Labour First Minister to directly intervene to stop the cuts.

Under proposals by Transport for Wales, services on the Heart of Wales line will be cut from five trains a day to four. They are also removing the two late evening services to Llandovery and Llandrindod Wells.

On the Cambrian Line, TfW will cut four services between Machynlleth and Pwllheli.

Promises for an hourly service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury have also been scaled back and will only be in place for four months of the year when they begin in summer 2026.

“At a time where we should be encouraging rail usage and adding extra services, Labour is allowing Transport for Wales to make sweeping cuts to services in rural areas, “ said Jane Dodds.

“It is an appalling state of affairs.”

“While services in South Wales are being increased, North and Mid Wales are facing cutbacks. Year after year we see the same story from Labour in Cardiff Bay,” she said.

“I am appealing to the Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan, who represents Mid & West Wales in the Senedd, to intervene directly to stop these cuts.”

“These cuts from Labour are an absolute disgrace,” said David Chadwick.

“You have Labour on the one hand telling people they need to use their cars less, but on the other hand, they are cutting public transport options. The two things don’t go together. It’s a ridiculous situation that shows how poorly they understand rural communities.

“We need more reliable and more frequent rail services across Mid Wales, not less. Access to public transport is vital for increasing economic investment and employment, supporting our tourist industry and attracting highly skilled workers like GPs to work in our communities.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson told the B&R: “Connecting communities across Wales is our priority. Our plans for bus reform will change the way buses operate across Wales and allow us to work in partnership with local authorities to develop a better bus network, and we are already working with local authorities to make changes to services in the run up to that.

“We are also delivering record investment in rail services across Wales, including an £800m investment in new and refurbished trains, serving every corner of Wales.”

In relation to Heart of Wales Line, Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director for TfW said: “We appreciate that passengers will be disappointed with these changes to Heart of Wales line, however capacity will be improved on this service in the coming months – with more seats and a dedicated bike capacity.”

In relation to Cambrian Line, he said: “The proposed new timetables will provide us with more resilience in the winter period and meet changed travel demands post Covid.

“Nearly every service that TfW operates requires public subsidy, and as a responsible operator it’s imperative for TfW to balance the needs for a regular, robust and reliable service with available budgets to deliver value for taxpayers and more sustainable transport.

“Savings made on some of the quieter services, particularly during the winter months, are being used to support strengthening services on the Cambrian Coast during the busy summer period where we can provide a real economic boost to the area through longer trains.”