WEST WALES passengers could get direct trains to Bristol before the end of the year — but the plan has sparked a row between the Welsh Government and Great Western Railway.

Transport for Wales wants to introduce new services from Milford Haven or Fishguard, running through Carmarthen, Llanelli, Swansea and Cardiff to Bristol Temple Meads.

The proposal would mean passengers from Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire could travel directly to Bristol without having to change trains at Cardiff Central.

TfW hopes to run the service every two hours from Monday to Saturday, with some trains starting in west Wales and one beginning in Cardiff. The aim is to launch the route by December 2026.

The plan would be particularly significant for Pembrokeshire, where rail links remain limited and passengers travelling to England often face long journey times and inconvenient changes.

It could also improve access for people using Fishguard Harbour for ferry connections to Ireland, as well as students, workers, tourists and families travelling between west Wales and the West Country.

However, Great Western Railway, which already operates services between Cardiff and Bristol, has raised concerns about the impact on its income and existing services.

GWR said the new TfW trains were likely to have a “significant effect” on its revenue and could affect services in the Bristol area.

The Welsh Government has reacted angrily, accusing GWR of trying to disrupt improvements for passengers.

Deputy Minister for Transport, Mark Hooper said it was “extremely disappointing” that GWR would seek to “disrupt these plans to improve things for passengers on both sides of the Severn”.

He said: “If Great Western Railway’s objection succeeds, it would negatively impact tens of thousands who could benefit from this service.

“I will be writing to the UK Transport Minister to urgently ask for clarification and call for some common sense on this issue.”

For many west Wales passengers, the current journey to Bristol involves changing at Cardiff, adding inconvenience and uncertainty to already long journeys.

A direct service from Milford Haven or Fishguard would mark a major improvement for communities along the west Wales main line, including Haverfordwest, Whitland, Carmarthen, Llanelli and Swansea.

GWR said it welcomed enhancements for passengers, but added that any changes must not be “detrimental to existing services or already agreed future services which will serve south Wales”.

The final decision on TfW’s application will be made by the Office of Rail and Road.

NHS LEADERS have welcomed the new Welsh Government’s health and care priorities, saying they are ready to work with ministers to help turn the plans into action.

The Welsh NHS Confederation said many of the priorities set out by the Cabinet Minister for Health and Care reflected the concerns of NHS leaders across Wales.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said the organisation particularly welcomed the proposed ten-year digital strategy, describing it as “an essential lever for improvement”.

He said: “NHS leaders welcome the new cabinet minister’s statement on health and care priorities, and we look forward to the minister’s response to our offer to convene leaders to take these priorities forward.

“Many of the minister’s priorities chime with those of NHS leaders and we especially welcome the 10-year digital strategy as an essential lever for improvement.”

Mr Hughes said a whole-government and whole-system approach would be needed if Wales is to make progress on integrating health and social care.

He added that workforce planning, performance frameworks and financial arrangements should cover both the NHS and social care sectors.

He said: “Although targeted intervention to reduce waiting lists is welcome, truly sustainable progress will be driven by looking at the wider NHS estate as key to unlocking productivity and efficiency gains.

“The new government is certainly saying a lot of the right things. Time will tell as to how intentions will turn into delivery and NHS leaders look forward to working with the Welsh Government and wider partners to transform health and care for the people of Wales.”

The Welsh NHS Confederation represents all organisations making up the NHS in Wales, including the seven local health boards, three NHS trusts and two special health authorities.

WELSH LABOUR has challenged Plaid Cymru to set out how it will turn billions of pounds of inward investment into jobs, higher wages and stronger communities across Wales.

The call came after the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy made a statement in the Senedd on the future of economic development, connectivity and energy policy.

Labour said Wales had attracted £4.6bn of inward investment in the twelve months before the recent Wales Investment Summit, arguing that the figure was the result of the previous Welsh Labour Government’s work to bring jobs, businesses and major investment into Wales.

Shav Taj MS, Welsh Labour’s spokesperson for Economic Transformation, said Plaid Cymru must now explain how it intends to build on that record.

She said: “Wales attracted a staggering £4.6bn of inward investment in the twelve months prior to the recent Wales Investment Summit, thanks to the previous Welsh Labour Government’s commitment to attracting more jobs, businesses, and investment to Wales.

“Plaid Cymru must now urgently show how they will capitalise on this and the difference their plans will make to people’s day-to-day lives. How many jobs will they create? By when and where? And how will they build on the successes of Welsh Labour’s Young Person’s Guarantee?

“People across Wales don’t need plan after plan or structural changes made for the sake of it, they need high-quality, fair-work jobs.”

The comments mark one of Labour’s first major economic attacks on the new Plaid-led Welsh Government, with the party seeking to frame the debate around delivery, jobs and measurable outcomes.

Labour is expected to press ministers on whether new economic policies will maintain previous commitments around fair work, youth employment and regional investment.

The Young Person’s Guarantee, introduced under Labour, was designed to ensure everyone under 25 in Wales had access to work, education, training or self-employment support.

Welsh Labour said any new economic approach must show clearly how investment will reach communities across Wales, rather than simply being presented through new strategies or government structures.

The row comes as Wales faces continuing pressure over productivity, wages, transport links and the need to attract long-term private investment into key sectors including energy, manufacturing, digital industries and infrastructure.

Plaid Cymru ministers are now under pressure to demonstrate how their programme for government will translate into new employment opportunities and improved living standards.

Labour said the key test would be whether people in towns and communities across Wales see practical benefits from investment announcements, including secure jobs, better training and fair pay.