CAPITAL EYE; VIEWPOINT.

Byline: TOM BODDEN

IT was a long journey home at the weekend for rugby fans from the North who suffered the agony of Stephen Jones' failed penalty in the last seconds of Ireland's deserved Grand Slam triumph in Cardiff.

Equally, football supporters from the North face the usual logistical difficulties on the trip to the Millennium Stadium on a Wednesday night for Wales' World Cup qualifier against mighty Germany.

The One Wales coalition deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru makes a priority of improving those North-South transport links. For many in Plaid, it is about more than the discomfort of the odd 10-hour round-trip by car to the capital.

It is part of the National Project to unite the nation in spite of its geographical and historically regional difficulties.

But one politician's priority is often another's candidate for the 'back burner', especially when financial strings are tightening.

Vale of Clwyd Labour AM Ann Jones is a doughty campaigner for improvements to the A55 in North Wales.

She is aiming to put Plaid leader and transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones on the spot, fearing that the North-South lobby's gain is at a loss to the traditional west-east links to the English motorway network on which the regional economy depends.

Today, she has tabled an Assembly debate which will concentrate on making the A55 a top priority for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Ms Jones wants a new crawler lane for lorries on the notorious Rhuallt Hill and more footbridges along the 80 mile route.

North Wales Chief Constable, Richard Brunstrom is a supporter of proposals to share more traffic responsibilities with the Trunk Road Agency to enable the police to attend more serious incidents and crimes.

Ms Jones said: "I am keen to see the Transport Minister roll out the pilots that have already started whereby the road trunk agency is helping to free up Police time so that we can make the most of our highly trained officers.

"We know this works across the border so I believe there is no time to waste in getting this done here in Wales."

The CBI Wales is worried at suggestions that the Assembly Government will 're-prioritise' its transport investment in Wales.

Its head of policy Leighton Jenkins says: "While better transport links between centres of population within Wales are useful they are in no way a substitute for improvements on economically vital east-west road infrastructure."

Martin Mansfield, Wales TUC general secretary said: "The M4 and

A55 corridors in particular have to be given priority as vital economic arteries.

"We also see the urgent need for high speed, electrified rail links from our major cities to London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester in particular."

But Mr Jones told MPs at Westminster only yesterday that hopes of improvements linking North Wales to Liverpool were already in the political long grass.

Plans to electrify the Wrexham to Bidston rail line - costing pounds 6om-pounds 2oom - have stalled, while plans to widen the A494 up to the A55 Ewloe Interchange at the top of Aston Hill were dropped 12 months ago after a public inquiry.