THE Welsh Liberal Democrats accuse Labour of sidelining West Wales in the latest rail funding allocation, concentrating on Cardiff and Newport.

The party has criticised the UK and Welsh Governments’ latest rail announcement, warning that West Wales has once again been sidelined despite grand claims of a generational commitment to transform the network.

While the Prime Minister and First Minister jointly endorsed Transport for Wales’ long-term rail vision this week, almost all of the confirmed funding from last summer’s £445 million Spending Review settlement is concentrated between Cardiff and Newport. Six of the seven new stations announced are located in that narrow stretch, with the remaining one in Deeside, North Wales.

By contrast, West Wales will see no benefit from the confirmed funding. The West Wales Line serving Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, the Cambrian Line serving Ceredigion, and the Heart of Wales Line serving Carmarthenshire have not received any additional funding.

The much-publicised £14 billion figure relates to the estimated cost of a long-term pipeline of potential projects identified by Transport for Wales over a generation. It is not a funded package and remains subject to future Spending Reviews. The current Spending Review settlement runs to the financial year 2029/30. There is no guaranteed timetable for the majority of schemes included in that figure and no additional money has been committed today.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats argue that this pattern reflects a wider imbalance in rail investment, with major funding focused in one region while large parts of West Wales continue to rely on ageing infrastructure, limited-service frequency and slow journey times. They have also reiterated that without devolving rail infrastructure powers to Wales, the country remains vulnerable to funding classifications that have previously cost Wales billions of pounds in lost consequentials.

The Lib Dems have highlighted that even in Transport for Wales’ £14 billion generational wish list, the document does not mention reopening the lines between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen or Bangor and Afon Wen, which would connect North and South Wales through West Wales. The party argues this could be delivered with only a small portion of the funding Wales should be receiving from HS2 but is not.

Commenting, Sandra Jervis, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, said:

“West Wales has once again been left watching from the sidelines while investment is concentrated in a small corridor between Cardiff and Newport.

“Welsh Labour is falsely claiming a £14 billion commitment when the confirmed funding is just £445 million, which was already announced last year and largely focused on one part of Wales. Announcing big projects without the funding to deliver them is exactly what the Conservatives were doing before they lost the general election and is the kind of politics people are fed up with.

“If this is meant to be a generational transformation, it must include the whole nation. West Wales deserves reliable, modern rail links that support tourism, local businesses and economic growth, especially if we are serious about tackling depopulation and growing our regional economy.”