No decision on hourly trains yet

Customers want more trains to operate along the route

A decision on whether the assembly government will help fund an improved train service in mid Wales will not be taken until rail work is finished.

It said it is currently spending £8m on improvements to the Cambrian line between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.

But rail watchdog Passenger Focus said although the work will make more trains possible, extra funding will be needed to run an hourly service on the line.

Its survey recently found only 41% of users were satisfied with the service.

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said: "A decision on additional services will be made when the infrastructure improvements have been completed.

"At the point of completion, we will look at the business case for the hourly service again."

'More attractive'

Councillor Mansel Williams, the chairman of the Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury Line Liaison Committee, said improving the service was important.

"I think the more frequent the service the more attractive it is to the travelling public," said Mr Williams, who sits on Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.

"It is something the liaison committee is in support of and we will be reflecting the support that has been given to improving the service by the constituent parts of the committee."

He also said the assembly government had made a "significant contribution" to developing rail services in Wales and along the borders.

Passenger Focus' manager for Wales, Simon Pickering said: "Our research shows there is a clear need for a more frequent service on this line as at the moment it isn't meeting passenger demands."

The assembly government and Network Rail are together investing £13m in the Cambrian Line to improve reliability and punctuality.