Passengers on the Heart of Wales line are benefiting from more reliable services this year, Transport for Wales has said.

The scenic route, which runs between Swansea and Shrewsbury via Llandrindod Wells, saw 97.5 per cent of scheduled trains run between June 22 and July 19, with just seven cancellations from 283 services. Punctuality also improved, with more than 81 per cent of trains arriving within three minutes of their scheduled time, up from 64 per cent at the start of the year.

Since January, the line has consistently maintained reliability above 90 per cent.

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “These figures are encouraging and reflect the work we and our partners at Network Rail have been doing to deliver a consistently reliable train service.

“We recognise the importance of the service to those communities along this line and that there have been times recently where our service hasn't been to the standard expected by customers.

“Whilst it’s pleasing to see performance improving and heading in the right direction, there are still improvements to be made.”

Transport for Wales said the improved performance is the result of the hard work of its staff and Network Rail partners, who maintain the track and trains with “exceptional dedication”. It added that is also down to the passion of those involved in Local Railways and Community Rail initiatives, working closely together to improve the railway experience across Wales.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates added “Delivering better transport is a priority for this government and I’m pleased to see this encouraging improvement on the Heart of Wales line.”

"It’s good to see improvements in the experience of passengers and I’d like to thank all those involved in delivering this,” he said.