4. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: Transport for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:06 pm on 23 January 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 4:06, 23 January 2018

What is it about the UK Government that makes it so difficult for them to come up with timely decisions in relation to Wales? I don't expect you to answer that, but, you know, the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales are geared up for this, but the UK Government has yet to transfer the powers to enable us to award the preferred bidder status, agree the contract, and still have a new service seamlessly transferred by October.

I am interested in the fact that you talk about station improvements, electrification and signalling for the south Wales metro, but I'm more keen to hear about trams, light rail and integrated ticketing, which seem to me the key issues, rather than getting ourselves in too much of a knot around the electrification of the Valleys lines. We need to have much more effective solutions to produce the outcomes that we need. I wondered if you could say about that.