2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 26 September 2017.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 2:46, 26 September 2017

I’ve been inspired by Huw Irranca-Davies’s request for something to be done about late trains to ask you, leader of the house, if we could have an update from the Cabinet Secretary on where we are with the awarding of the new Wales and borders franchise, currently of course with Arriva. I think it would be really helpful if we specifically had some information on where we are with the commissioning of new rolling stock. I think, in the past when I’ve raised this with the Minister, and possibly with the First Minister as well, it’s been suggested that the commissioning of new rolling stock would be primarily left until after the first phase of awarding of the franchise. Clearly, that leaves it very late, and I know that we would all want, and the public would want, the new franchise to hit the ground running so that when the company, whether it’s the existing company or whether it’s a new company, takes over the running of that franchise, we really can get off to a fresh start, and passengers and the public can have access to first-class trains and first-class rolling stock at the earliest opportunity.