6. What are the Welsh Government's priorities for improving public transport in the northern valleys? OAQ(5)0544(FM)

The national transport finance plan, published in July 2015, sets out investment for transport and infrastructure and services for 2015-20 across all parts of Wales.

The south Wales metro gives us the opportunity to deliver real improvements in public transport services in the Valleys, and I welcome the First Minister’s answer last week about the importance of inter-Valley transport links.

At the moment, a return bus journey between Aberdare and Merthyr is £7. A train journey between Aberdare and Cardiff is £8—more than the hourly national living wage. How will the Welsh Government make sure that fares for the metro are set at an affordable level?

I can assure the Member that affordable fares are being considered as part of the procurement of the next rail services that we have and also the metro contract. We want to make sure that we see increased patronage, particularly at off-peak times and on services where patronage is currently low. We want to see discounts to the cost of travel for people working irregular work patterns or part-time hours, and, importantly, it’s hugely important that the system is integrated and has a ticketing system that has electronic ticketing and smart ticketing. That is something that is absolutely crucial to the development of the metro.

First Minister, in an announcement, they claim—here is the quote:

‘one of the most significant improvements to valleys commuters in a decade, since the opening of the Ebbw Vale line.’

Arriva Trains Wales revealed that they are to double the capacity of commuter trains in and out of Cardiff to deal with overcrowding. However, the Arriva contracts mean that it is trying to deal with rising passenger numbers with the same number of trains as they held in 2003. What discussions has the Welsh Government had with Arriva Trains to find ways of increasing the number of trains to provide services between Cardiff and the Valleys?

Well, it’s part of the franchise discussions that will take place next year. We want to make sure there are more trains and more comfortable trains on the network. For the first time, the Welsh Government will have control over these issues, and we intend to make sure that the network is improved and developed for the future.

I just want to speak up for the northern valleys of the Ogmore constituency. We have four valleys, many of which will benefit from better public transport in terms of faster buses, cheaper ticketing, joined-up ticketing, but particularly the Llynfi valley. I wonder: what is the view of the First Minister on the importance of the Maesteg to Cheltenham, as it now is, main line—or community line as it in in the Llynfi valley—in terms of south Wales metro? Because for many people in that valley and adjoining valleys, that is as integral to the Cardiff travel-to-work area as is Ebbw Vale or Merthyr or anywhere else. They believe they are part and parcel of the south Wales travel area, so what role do they play within the south Wales metro?

Hugely important. It was a great act of foresight by Mid Glamorgan, actually, in 1988, to open up that line to passenger traffic. At the moment, of course, it’s an hourly service with no Sunday service—well, that’s not something that in the long term we should be satisfied with. It’s important that we look to increase services on the line and look to see how that can be done, and, of course, to see what can be done to run a Sunday service, although it’s important that we understand what the patronage would be of that Sunday service. But I know full well that those trains are very, very well used. They now run later in the evening than they used to, which is one thing—I don’t spend my entire time looking at rail timetables, may I add, even though I may give that impression at times. But I do know that the service is hugely important to the people of the Llynfi valley, and we will look to enhance that service in the future.