RE-OPENING the Ebbw Vale railway line for passenger traffic is one of the top new rail priorities in the UK, transport minister Sue Essex says.

Making her first formal statement about the Strategic Rail Authority's rail plan, which was published last week, Ms Essex said it was important for politicians to be realistic in their promises, but said that Wales was doing well for new projects.

She said: "People want realistic improvements; we are getting improvements. "The Vale of Glamorgan line, which we have made a commitment to, will be delivered. "As for the Ebbw Vale line, which is an act of faith in the communities in the valleys, there is only one other scheme anywhere near that and that is in Scotland and is much, much smaller."

Gwent AMs were quick to quiz the minister about the plans to put passenger trains linking Ebbw Vale and Abertillery with Cardiff and Newport.

"Will she take action with Railtrack and the SRA and ask them to prioritise signal modernisation at Newport which is so important to re-opening the branch line to Abertillery, and will allow it to proceed?" asked Mr Peter Law. Ms Essex said she would take up the issue and said that when it had been raised in the past it had been taken very seriously.

Islwyn AM Brian Hancock, another supporter of the line, urged the minister to consider engaging local colleges in training up the engineers which are needed on the railways. Newport West AM Rosemary Butler asked her to look at the cleanliness and cost of train travel. "It is cheaper to go from Bristol to Naples than from Newport to London. It is important that trains are clean and affordable."

She repeated her criticisms of Newport station, which she said had "appalling facilities" despite a recent lick of paint.

Ms Essex said that short of picking up a mop and brush, cleanliness was probably outside her remit, but agreed that it was one way to encourage people to give up their cars and on to trains.

Last week the Argus revealed Gwent's rail network could get a £56m boost - with work proposed including the construction of new stations at Llanwern, Caerleon, Roger-stone, Undy and Coedkernew - under the TIGER (Transport Integration in Gwent Economic Region) initiative.