Geraint Davies has demanded that Simon Hart, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP and re-appointed Welsh Secretary, stands up for Welsh train infrastructure.

Mr Davies, who has been re-selected for the Welsh Affairs Committee, has said that this should be a priority for the Committee that is due to start next week.

Geraint Davies, MP, Swansea West, said: “HS2 will mean that the time taken to get to Manchester will go down from two hours 10 minutes to one hour 10 minutes, but, at the same time, the time to get to Swansea will remain three hours.”

“It’s another example of Wales missing out when we only receive 1.5% of the rail money for 5% of the population and 11% of the railways.”

“The Secretary of State must prove he is fit for office and ensure the government invests in a high-speed connection between Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea and I have written to him to ask for a meeting ahead of the Spring Budget in March.”

HS2 is the high-speed rail link connecting London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds that one independent estimate has put close to double the price earmarked in the 2015 Budget at £106bn.

Last week the Prime Minister gave a green light to the controversial project and today Andrew Stephenson has been appointed minister for HS2.