Rail Services in South-east Wales

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 22 November 2017.

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Photo of Steffan Lewis Steffan Lewis Plaid Cymru 2:19, 22 November 2017

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. In March 2015, it was announced that there would be a dualling of the Ebbw Vale line as part of a £40 million initiative that would deliver a half-hourly service. This was amid much fanfare. There were public engagement events and a great deal of media coverage and it was said that dualling the track would be complete by the following winter, to be followed swiftly by new platforms and new signalling. A letter I’ve received from Network Rail reveals that all physical works were put on hold in December 2016 as the Welsh Government initiated a pause-and-review period, and now we’re approaching winter 2017 with no half-hourly service and the work remains incomplete. Will the Cabinet Secretary please apologise to the people of the Ebbw valley for this delay? Will he give them a full explanation and will he provide them with a new completion date?