Reopened line can be the sort of basic infrastructure we've long been denied

HERE'S been a lot of talk about “levelling up” in recent years. But here in Wales, that phrase rings hollow.

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For decades, our communities have suffered from chronic underinvestment including in transport infrastructure — and nowhere is that more obvious than in the absence of a functional rail link connecting the west of our country.

The disused Bangor to Afon Wen railway line, which once connected a string of communities from Bangor across Arfon and Dwyfor, has become a symbol of political neglect. While the South of England sees rail upgrades and vast sums poured into HS2 — from which Wales won't see a penny — the people of north-west Wales are still waiting for the basic infrastructure that allows them to live, work and travel around with ease.