CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after confirmation of major Welsh Government investment in a village train station.

Ruabon Station will benefit from funding with upgrades to include step-free access to both platforms.

Residents have long called for improved disabled access at Ruabon

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones and Ruabon County Councillor Dana Davies recently renewed calls for investment at Ruabon and urged the Welsh Government to step in to address the "chronic lack of investment" by the Tory Government.

And this week this was realised when it was announced that a £15m programme of improvements to disabled access at Welsh stations will include investment at Ruabon.

Ms Jones said: “Last year I presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of the fantastic Friends of Ruabon Station which was supported by a very large number of local residents. This called for action from the UK Government, but sadly, they did not act.

"I am absolutely delighted that the Welsh Labour Government has now stepped in and announced this funding for Ruabon.”

Cllr Dana Davies added: “This funding is on top of the deep clean of Ruabon Station and upgrades the Welsh Government has already promised. I’m thrilled that the Welsh Labour Government are addressing the chronic lack of investment in Ruabon by the Tory Government. This is huge.”

Just £600,000 was spent on stations in the last 15 years of the Arriva franchise. In the next 15 years almost £200m will be spent improving every Welsh station – including an unprecedented £15m on accessibility improvements.

As well as the investment in Ruabon, Chirk will be upgraded and Wrexham General is in line for a £2.4m makeover.

KeolisAmey has been contracted to operate the Wales and Borders rail service for the next 15 years, taking over from Arriva Trains Wales in October.

The company will work with Transport for Wales, the not-for-profit company set up to drive the Welsh Labour Government’s vision of a world-class, safe, integrated and affordable transport network.

Other benefits will include:

- Increasing the frequency on the Wrexham-Bidston line to two trains per hour - with fully refurbished metro trains.

- A new hourly Liverpool to Llandudno/ Shrewsbury service and a new Liverpool to Cardiff train stopping at Wrexham.

- Half-price concessionary fares being extended to 16 to 18 year-olds.

- Refunds for delays over 15 minutes and penalties for the operator if passengers have to stand for longer than 20 minutes.