Helen welcomes road and rail blueprint

Helen Morgan has voiced her support for new road and rail proposals which affect Shropshire and surrounding areas. The ‘Marches Road and Rail blueprint’ was launched today by regional transport body Midlands Connect.

The proposals are a suite of upgrades for rail improvements in Herefordshire; Shropshire; and Telford & Wrekin as well as counties in Mid and West Wales. The plans have been created in conjunction with the Welsh Government. Midlands Connect also has a series of road improvement schemes that it is prioritising within the region.

The document is being released at The Marches Transport Summit this morning, attended by Helen Morgan. The blueprint outlines a series of plans to improve the transport network across the region. Details can be seen below.

Helen commented, "Communities across the Midlands and Wales are being held back by a lack of public transport, particularly in rural areas like North Shropshire.

“It’s vital that rail and bus routes are expanded, integrated and made accessible so that everyone can reach the jobs and services they need wherever they happen to live.

“It’s also crucial to improve safety in the villages of Llanymnech and Pant and Llynclys by building a bypass along the Welsh border, so I’m pleased that Midlands Connect’s proposals reflect all of these key priorities.

“The case for connecting the region is clear. The Government must now build on these proposals and implement them as soon as possible.”

For the Chester to Shrewsbury rail Line (which stops at Wrexham, Ruabon, Chirk and Gobowen) Midlands Connect is proposing:

• Secure faster and a higher frequency of trains, with greater direct connectivity between Telford and Chester
• Reviews of accessibility to train stations, identifying any barriers people may have in using them for the “first and last mile” of their journey.

For the Welsh Marches rail line (stopping at Yorton, Wem, Prees and Whitchurch) Midlands Connect is proposing:

• Cut journey times from Hereford to Cardiff to under 60 minutes, encouraging people onto the train and away from their vehicles
• Cross-border integration of the bus network - to enable residents in Herefordshire to access rail at Abergavenny, which is closer than Hereford
• Additional stations between Hereford and Abergavenny to give direct rail access to those living in rural communities along the Herefordshire/Monmouthshire border.

On the Heart of Wales Line (which stops at Shrewsbury, Church Stretton and Craven Arms) Midlands Connect is proposing:

• Secure faster and a higher frequency of trains, also enhancing the effectiveness and comfort of the interchange at Shrewsbury
• Integrating bus and rail for rural communities along the line.

On the Cambrian line (From Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Caersws and on the West Wales ending at Aberystwyth or Pwllheli) Midlands Connect is proposing:

• Cut journey times and maintain direct services to Birmingham, optimising connections at Shrewsbury.

Midlands Connect also recommends road upgrades for the A5, not just to improve local safety, but to enhance the longer distance role played by the A5 in connecting England to Holyhead and beyond. They also suggest delivery of the Pant – Llanymynech bypass as soon as possible as well as the A49 corridor given its role in moving people and freight in and out of Wales.

More details of the Midland Connect proposals can be found here.