A local AM has welcomed news that Carno station has been included on the Welsh Government list which will assess whether the station can be reopened.
Welcoming the news, Russell George, Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, questioned the First Minister this week (Tuesday 3rd October) on the next steps which will make the reopening of Carno station a reality.
In a letter to the Carno Station Action Group, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates AM, confirmed that his officials will now seek further information from Network Rail on the deliverability and operational considerations surrounding the potential reopening of Carno station.
The Cabinet Secretary's letter, which coincided with the delivery of a second petition from Carno Station Action Group will mark the next phase of the campaign in an effort to reopen the station, ten years after the first petition was submitted to the National Assembly.
Responding to the Cabinet Secretary's announcement, Mr George said:
"After ten long years, I'm delighted that the Cabinet Secretary has announced that Carno will be considered as a potential new railway station.
"I was also pleased that the First Minister confirmed the Welsh Government's desire to see Carno station reopened pending the successful outcome of the assessment process.
"The local community has been pressing for the re-opening of Carno station for many years, due to the dramatically improved access to jobs and services that the station would provide, and I would like to pay tribute to the work which the Carno Station Action Group have done over the years to make the strong case for the station to be reopened.
"The journey continues, but it's clear the hard work is paying off and the next phase of the campaign will now begin."
County Councillor Les George, Councillor for Carno, added:
"After many years of waiting, I'm delighted that the Welsh Government have confirmed the inclusion of Carno on the list of potential new stations.
"Without the work of the Carno Station Action Group, I don't think we would be in this position and while we can't fully celebrate yet, we have made a big step in the right direction.
"I look forward to supporting the Action Group in the next stage of the campaign."