Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to start by thanking Rhianon Passmore for raising this important debate today, and I'd like to thank her for her comments and also for recognising the huge change that is to come to rail services across the length and breadth of Wales and, of course, to her own constituency of Islwyn. 

I believe 14 October of this year was a historic day for rail transport in Wales, and in Islwyn, with the launch of the new Wales and borders rail franchise. Led by Transport for Wales, this will be the very first made-in-Wales rail service, one that was designed and delivered by the Welsh Government here in Wales. And as Rhianon said, £5 billion of investment will be funnelled into rail infrastructure and rail services over the next decade and a half, ensuring that our network will be transformed.

There's going to be £800 million spent on new rolling stock to ensure that, by 2023, 95 per cent of journeys will be on 148 brand new trains with half assembled here in Wales. That money will also see £738 million spent on modernising the Valleys lines, supporting the next phase of metro, and it will run many more trains per hour. In addition, £194 million will be spent on station investment—investment that will see every single station improved. There'll be an extra 285 services across Wales every weekday, and on Sundays an extra 294 services.

Six hundred new jobs and 30 apprenticeships each year will be created, and those opportunities will be open to people in the Valleys communities. I'm keen to ensure that depots, such as that which is being created in Taff's Well, will reach out to communities beyond the immediate vicinity of Taff's Well and offer opportunities for apprentices across the Valleys communities. There'll also be a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions across the network. There'll be the introduction of smart ticketing across Wales and the extension of free travel to those younger than 11, with half-price fares for 16 to 18-year-olds. 

In the coming months and years, we will deliver groundbreaking transformation of transport across the country and in Islwyn. Communities on the Ebbw Vale line will benefit from a range of improvements and enhancements planned by TfW to the line. New rolling stock will be introduced, improving the quality and the ambience of passenger facilities compared to the tired rolling stock we have right now. In 2019, refurbished trains will be introduced to add capacity to the line, and, in 2022, brand-new trains will be introduced with level boarding, free Wi-Fi, power sockets, electronic passenger information, air-conditioning and more space for bikes.

Increases in services on the Ebbw line are a priority for the south Wales metro. The vision is for four services per hour. Infrastructure improvements on the line are currently being progressed, and we expect the doubling of services on the line from 2021, increasing to four per hour by 2024, and I can assure Rhianon Passmore that I will be working with TfW to deliver this. By May 2021, we plan to restore the rail link between Ebbw Vale and Newport, with the introduction of a new hourly service, which will improve rail access for communities in Islwyn, and I'm really pleased that the Member is happy with this outcome.

Accompanying this, there will be a significant increase in capacity delivered by the new contract, designed to help more people get a seat during the busiest times. Indeed, the number of seats will increase by 60 per cent. The contract ensures that TfW will be penalised if passengers have to stand for longer than 20 minutes and, in addition, stations will be improved significantly. An enhanced deep cleaning programme is being put in place, followed by the installation of free Wi-Fi by December 2020. By December 2022, we will refurbish platform shelters and install new passenger information screens. By 2023, we'll install improved cycle storage facilities.

Of course, the Ebbw Vale line, which remains the responsibility of Network Rail and the UK Government, has significant engineering challenges that meant we could not add it to the central metro at this stage. However, the scheme's development now involves TfW, and their technical expertise is supplementing Network Rail's work. Our ambition continues to be to grow the services to four trains per hour, and I have instructed Transport for Wales to present us with options for delivering this. Transport for Wales is indeed working through the options, working with partners to identify a cost-effective way to deliver our ambitions.

I think it's important, though, to understand that this is part of a major 15-year investment programme. Our bold ambitions will take time to bring to fruition and won't be achieved overnight. But I am confident that, by 2023, the people of Islwyn and Wales will be benefiting from the best passenger rail service in the UK.