Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 24 October 2018.
I think the Member is absolutely right. Communicating the programme of improvements is essential in ensuring the confidence of passengers can be guaranteed. We've already published the time frame for the rolling out of new trains. However, I would happily recirculate that to Members. I've offered Members in the past a number of workshops with Transport for Wales when they are able to provide the detailed time frame of delivery of the replacement rolling stock, and it's also published online. But I will happily provide a detailed table of all of the replacement and new rolling stock that's going to come into service in the coming five years. And in terms of the tender specification and the contract, we are reaching agreement on how we can suitably publish that. I am keen to make sure that that is in the public domain as soon as possible for the purpose of ensuring that there is transparency and scrutiny.
In terms of the station improvements, we're currently putting together an assessment tool to ensure that we can categorise and prioritise station improvements, and I think it's going to be important, once we've done that, to be able to identify a suitable time frame for those improvements to take place. I've said in the past that £15 million will be made available, for example, for improving access to stations. I'm keen to ensure that we're able to identify those stations that will benefit from that funding and that we are able to identify the period during which they will be improved.
The Member may be aware that we've already published specific dates for certain stations that are being improved, but I think the Member is right, and I'll endeavour to put together a table of all 274 stations that are going to receive an upgrade and improvement. But it's important just to reiterate that those improvements will begin in December of this year with a thorough deep clean.