South Wales Central Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies has called for the delivery of a railway station in St Athan to be prioritised.
The Vale of Glamorgan Line runs through the village, but the nearest stations for residents who wish to travel by train are located in Llantwit Major and Rhoose.
Mr Davies pointed out that the Vale’s previous Conservative MP, Alun Cairns, had secured a business case study of the project.
The new government has not taken this forward.
Calling for the project to be reactivated, Mr Davies said improving transport links in Vale communities should be the priority, not ideologically motivated schemes like Plaid Cymru separatist and Labour’s 20mph speed limits.
Mr Davies said:
St Athan desperately needs better transport links and a new railway station is crucial.
This is where transport funding should be allocated – not ideologically motivated projects like Plaid Cymru separatist and Labour’s 20mph speed limits.
St Athan was well on the way to securing a train station under the last Conservative government and the project must be reactivated.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Please find below the Senedd’s Record of Proceedings from Wednesday 11 February.
Andrew R.T. Davies
14:11:11
What would be really welcome in the Vale of Glamorgan is a new railway station in the village of St Athan. The local development programme signifies significant new housing development, and, in the past, there’s been significant housing development in that particular area. The former MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, Alun Cairns, promoted this with the Department for Transport in London and they commissioned a business case study of such a project. The new Labour Government that took over in 2024 has not taken that business case proposition forward, and it is a vital piece of infrastructure that will take a lot of traffic off the road if it is built. Will you commit the Welsh Government, in the limited time it has available before dissolution, to lobbying your colleagues in London to reactivate that business case and relook at this important piece of transport infrastructure for the Vale of Glamorgan?
Ken Skates
14:12:02
I’m very well aware of the interest in a new station at St Athan. I’ve had discussions both with regional leaders and with UK Government Ministers regarding this. We’re also working very closely with the Wales rail board to develop priorities for rail in Wales, and, as I’ve said to Members, a prospectus will be published that contains the short-, medium- and long-term priorities for Welsh rail. That’s going to happen in the coming days and the work that’s taking place at the moment through the Wales rail board, I can assure the Member, is including consideration for a potential new railway station at St Athan. And I know that, with the use of the regional transport fund, there is the possibility of drawing down development funding to take this project forward.
Comments are closed