5. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: Ambitions for Great Western and North Wales Main Lines

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:50 pm on 8 May 2018.

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Photo of John Griffiths John Griffiths Labour 4:50, 8 May 2018

Cabinet Secretary, one missing link, which has been the subject of a great deal of frustration for quite some time in my area, a missing link in terms of joining up south-east Wales is the Newport to Ebbw Vale passenger rail link. It's long been eagerly awaited and I wonder if you can, in responding to questions on this statement today, provide any further information on when we can expect that link to be established and its continuing importance, I hope, to Welsh Government reflecting the views of local people. 

Also, services to Bristol, Cabinet Secretary, which I know you are aware of, leave much to be desired in terms of overcrowded trains and reliability, problems with cancellation, the general quality of the rolling stock, and indeed the time that journeys take. So, on a whole range of factors as to what makes train travel desirable or otherwise, that service from Newport, Cardiff and other areas to Bristol is problematic, and particularly problematic for commuters. So, given the need to join up around border services between Arriva Trains Wales and the Great Western operation, Cabinet Secretary, I wonder what you can say in terms of comfort to those long-suffering commuters and others that those problems will be addressed, hopefully in the near future, so that they can have a much better experience and we can get more people out of their cars and onto public transport.