Senedd Member calls for reliable trains and tougher fly‑tipping penalties
Jayne Bryant urges Welsh Government and Transport for Wales to fix Ebbw Vale line disruptions and raise fly‑tipping fines, while seeking certainty for the Bliss Wales neonatal programme.
Welsh Labour Senedd Member Jayne Bryant has warned that unreliable public‑transport services are undermining the ability of residents in the Casnewydd Islwyn constituency to travel for work, education and health.
“Public transport services must be regular and reliable for people to use them,” she told a gathering of constituents in Blackwood on Thursday.
Bryant highlighted the Ebbw Vale railway line, where frequent cancellations and delays have left commuters stranded and trains overcrowded when they do run.
She said the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales have a duty to listen to the “local people affected by frequent delays and cancellations”.
“People rely on these trains, and delays and cancellations have a huge impact,” Bryant added.
Transport for Wales previously assured her that the line would not be treated as a “second class line”, but she noted that disruption persisted throughout the summer.
“This is not good enough and I will keep pushing for improvements,” she said, pledging continued pressure on the authorities.
In addition to transport concerns, Bryant called for tougher measures against fly‑tipping, describing the litter as a “blight on our communities”.
She urged the Welsh Government to raise the maximum fixed penalty for illegal dumping, which is currently under consultation.
The consultation proposes a new ceiling of £5,000, a figure Bryant said would send a clear deterrent message.
During a Senedd session last week, Bryant pressed the deputy minister for health to confirm the future of the Bliss Wales programme, a charitable initiative that supports families with premature or seriously ill infants.
The programme, launched with Welsh Labour funding in 2025, provides emotional and practical assistance to parents navigating neonatal care.
She stressed that certainty is needed as the Plaid Cymru‑led Welsh Government approaches the programme’s funding deadline in March next year.
Following the Senedd debate, Bryant thanked attendees at a Macmillan coffee morning held at the Blackwood Miners Institute, where she was joined by MP Ruth Jones.
The event raised funds for the cancer charity and provided an opportunity for constituents to discuss local issues with their representatives.
Bryant also reminded residents that she holds regular advice surgeries across the constituency and encourages anyone with concerns to contact her office.
With transport reliability, environmental cleanliness and neonatal support all on her agenda, Bryant said she will continue to press the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales for tangible improvements.