PLANS to reopen Pontrilas railway station 13 miles from Monmouth have hit a setback.

A ‘Golden Valley Parkway’ task force was set up to co-ordinate progress on the Abergavenny-Hereford line proposal between councils and rail operators, with Herefordshire Council planning to spend £50,000 developing a business case to relaunch the station, which closed to passengers in 1958.

But now a monitoring report suggests that the goal of completing an outline business case has hit numerous problems but will deliver 140 out of the 179 milestones by the beginning of April.

The plan is supported by South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman, a former transport minister, but the new Labour government has cancelled the Restoring Your Railways fund, seen as the most promising source of funding the scheme.