Speaking in a Parliament debate last week, Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies called for hourly rail services between Llandudno and Liverpool, which have been promised from the end of 2023, to be brought forward.
James raised the matter in Wednesday’s Westminster Hall debate on Transport Connectivity: Merseyside.
He said:
“For many, Liverpool is the capital of North Wales, yet direct rail services from the North Wales coast ceased in the 1970s. Thanks to the reopening of the Halton curve, hourly services are promised from Llandudno to Liverpool, although not, I think, until December 2023. Will the Minister join me in calling on Transport for Wales to bring that forward if it can?”
The Minister of State at the Department for Transport Andrew Stephenson MP thanked James for making “a very powerful point on behalf of his constituents” and said he would relay his call to the Minister with responsibility for rail, “who speaks regularly to colleagues in Transport for Wales”.
He added:
“Since 2010, over £29 billion has been invested in transport infrastructure in the north, but the Government want to go further, faster. Levelling up all parts of the UK is at the centre of the Government’s agenda as we build back better from the pandemic, and we will shortly publish a levelling-up White Paper that sets out bold new policy interventions giving local control to drive economic recovery. Transport connectivity is fundamental to that.”
Commenting after the debate, James, who is Chair of the Mersey Dee North Wales All-Party Parliamentary Group, added:
“Thanks to the reopening of the Halton Curve track by the M56 near Runcorn, direct daily services between Wrexham and Liverpool were introduced in 2019 and are proving popular, but we are not expected to see the promised direct services between Llandudno and Liverpool until the back end of next year.
“I know many rail users are looking forward to this new service being introduced and it is a shame that they are having to wait so long. I therefore hope Transport for Wales will seriously consider introducing the service earlier.
“Good rail connectivity between North Wales and other parts of the country will be vital in building back the region from the pandemic, helping to attract visitors to the area and consequently boosting the local economy.
“It is also important that we encourage more people from the roads to rail for the good of the environment and we will only achieve this with rail services that are fast and reliable.”
