ONE of the candidates for next year's Assembly Elections in Monmouth has called for a feasibility study into the re-opening of the Wye Valley railway line, writes Keith Fairbank.

Jonathan Clark, the Plaid Cymru candidate, has outlined proposals for a sustainable and comprehensive public transport strategy for the area - including improved rail services across Monmouthshire and South East Wales.

Mr Clark, pictured below, said: "An affordable, sustainable public transport system is not a luxury or a cheap option, it is a necessity. If our communities are going to continue to survive and develop in the 21st century then we need to re-develop the concept of integrated public transport."

He added: "It's time to take the blinkers off and to develop cross-border partnerships with local authorities in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and South Herefordshire; as well as neighbouring local authorities in South East Wales and the National Assembly."

As such, Plaid Cymru's transport plan calls for a feasibility study into the re-opening of the Monmouth and Wye Valley line, providing a rail services for both local residents and tourists to reduce the local traffic burden.

Similarly, further studies into the possibilities of re-opening the railway line from Little Mill to Usk and the development of new stations at Usk and Pontrilas, in Herefordshire, are also proposed.

The plan also suggests transforming the railway stations at Chepstow and Abergavenny, and the development of a Parkway Station at Little Mill with secure parking facilities.