Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. I welcome this opportunity today to update you on a number of developments with Transport for Wales. Transport for Wales was established in 2015 as a wholly-owned, not-for-profit company to provide support and expertise to the Welsh Government in connection with transport projects in Wales. My aspiration, however, for Transport for Wales is that it should develop and take on a much wider range of transport functions, similar in nature to the operations of Transport for London. 

Traditionally, different modes of transport have been considered distinctly, with separate policy, separate funding and separate providers. Whilst this reflects, arguably, how the industry operates, it does not reflect the way that people think about their journeys. When planning the commute to work or a long-distance trip, people think about the cost, the convenience and complexity of the entire door-to-door journey. 

To maintain and improve services in a changing world, and with challenging priorities, there is a need to consider innovative delivery arrangements for transport functions, including those that could generate external income streams. 'Taking Wales Forward', 'Prosperity for All' and the economic action plan identify the need to drive a step change in the way we understand, the way that we plan, and the way that we use and invest in transport here in Wales. 

Together with the improved devolved settlement offered through the Wales Act 2017, the Welsh Government will put in place a framework for the delivery of transport services that can improve network quality, frequency, reliability and punctuality, and provide more integrated and reduced carbon public transport. Utilising the new powers for rail that are also being devolved, we can now more than ever ensure that people are central to transport policies here in Wales, so that we can deliver a safe, efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the whole of the country. 

The economic action plan commits that Transport for Wales will work with the Welsh Government’s new regional teams, the emerging regional transport authorities, and partners to create an integrated public transport network, covering the rail and bus networks. Following the successful model of acquisition of Cardiff Airport, our aim is that the public transport network will be increasingly directly owned or operated by Transport for Wales.