A CAMPAIGNER is demanding the UK Government steps up and helps deliver long-awaited access improvements at Ruabon Station.

The Welsh Government wants to install lifts to help people with mobility issues move between platforms, but the UK Government has twice refused to contribute to the costs even though the work comes under Westminster’s remit.

Welsh Ministers have now once again asked the UK Government’s Department for Transport to urgently agree to prioritise work at Ruabon.

Local county councillor Dana Davies said: “The Friends of Ruabon group has been campaigning for this for years on behalf of local people, but the project has twice been stopped in its tracks by the UK Government refusing to invest in our area.

“While transport is devolved to Wales, it’s important to point out that responsibility for track, station infrastructure and signalling remains with the UK Government.

"Over the past 20 years, Wales has received less than 2 per cent of the £102bn that that UK Government has spent on rail enhancement – despite us having 5 per cent of the population and 11 per cent of the track miles.”

In 2017, former MP Susan Elan Jones presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of the Friends of Ruabon calling for action from the UK Government.

And in an attempt to incentivise the UK Government to invest in Welsh stations, including Ruabon, the Welsh Government had offered to match-fund vital upgrades.

But the UK Government twice decided against funding for Ruabon, most recently in February 2020.

Cllr Davies said: “This is an extremely important issue for people in my ward and the many other local people who use Ruabon Station.

“The Welsh Government has twice before put money on the table for this long-awaited work to go ahead – even though it’s not a devolved area – and twice we have been snubbed by the UK Government.

"Twice we have got our hopes up because we didn’t think there would be any way they would refuse to cough up 50 per cent of the costs.

"They should be paying for the work in its entirety, and so far they’ve refused to contribute a penny.

"It’s extremely frustrating and their lack of action makes no sense when there has been match-funding on the table from Welsh Government for more than two years."

The Welsh Government has now written to UK Government Transport Secretary Grant Shapps asking him to approve its plans for step-free access at Ruabon, which it says would ‘proceed urgently once agreement is forthcoming’.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are committed to providing more modern, accessible journeys across Wales.

“Under our £300m Access for All programme, four Welsh stations were awarded a total of £1.5m to install new lifts, and a further 10 stations are due to benefit from an accessible route to and between every platform.

“Upgrades to Ruabon Station have progressed to detailed designs, and we await the outcome of that work before a decision can be taken.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Ruabon Station has a very strong case for improvements which is why we have endorsed the proposals.

"It is disappointing the UK Government has repeatedly rejected this scheme.

"We have again asked it to fund the redevelopment of the station to ensure these important benefits are delivered for local people.”