3. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: Rail Services and the South Wales Metro

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:54 pm on 5 June 2018.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 3:54, 5 June 2018

Can I thank the Member for her questions? The Member's absolutely right that new technology must be embraced by the operator. It is being embraced, and it's worth just sharing with Members more detail about the repayment system that will be operated. It will be automated, and so any passenger that's delayed by 15 minutes or more will get an automated reimbursement of the ticket fare. That's something that happens in some parts of Europe, and I'm delighted that we'll be introducing that arrangement here in Wales.

I am confident that the additional seat capacity will be sufficient for passengers, and it's worth also pressing home the point that there will be penalties for the operator for anyone who's having to stand for more than 20 minutes. In addition to there being increased capacity in terms of seats, there will also be additional capacity for bikes and other forms of transport taken on trains, including wheelchairs, because of course we need to integrate transport far better, and if you can't take a bike onto a train you're then not going to be able to cycle the short way, that final one mile, as it often is called, to work. There are also some exciting proposals contained within the franchise arrangement for that final mile to work, which I'll be pleased to be able to share with Members in the coming weeks.