Since the first British railway line was opened nearly 200 years ago, trains have changed the way that we travel and communicate. For communities like the one I represent in the south Wales coalfield, the railways developed a complex and symbiotic relationship with mining. They offered citizens opportunities to work, learn or enjoy leisure, and that is still true today. In 2016-17, there were over 30 million passenger rail journeys in Wales, and that’s the highest level since the 1990s.

Rail still provides the only direct public transport link between my constituency and Cardiff, yet while rail services play such an important role, we must, in turn, ensure that they are properly funded and that they meet the requirements of not only our constituents but people coming into Wales, and are supported so that they don’t just meet current needs but are able to cope with future demand.

As I think every speaker has already noted, we cannot deny that our rail services have not been funded as they should have been by the UK Government. I agree completely with my colleague Huw Irranca-Davies that all we’re asking for is our fair share. I won’t repeat the statistics that have been well versed around the Chamber, except the one statistic that I believe was raised by Rhun ap Iorwerth: out of a total UK budget of £12.2 billion, Wales received just £198 million. Incidentally, that is around half of what Welsh Ministers invested in Welsh rail over that same period, despite responsibility not being devolved. That shocking underinvestment by UK Ministers in Welsh rail is, of course, starkest when we consider their betrayal over rail electrification. Again, I won’t go into that argument, because it has been well versed in the Chamber already by previous speakers.

To meet the current and future needs of my constituents, I am pleased with the way the Welsh Government has gone above and beyond to support services. The appointment of KeolisAmey to deliver the Wales and borders rail franchise will undoubtedly bring significant benefits and opportunities, not least of all will be the £1.9 billion-worth of investment by the operator. And for what will this programme of investment be used? Well, I look forward in particular to the increased capacity on Valleys lines services. The number of trains between Aberdare and Cardiff will double so there will be four an hour, bringing increased opportunities for my constituents to enjoy travel and to increase their economic opportunities. And it will also increase the number of services calling at stations along the way—for example, Abercynon will then have eight trains an hour. The planned expansion of park-and-ride opportunities could really help to get people out of their cars, but enhanced services must capture commuter need. They can't just be Monday to Friday, nine till five.

I, like many other Assembly Members I'm sure, get frequent comments about the paucity and inconvenient timings of services on match days, for example. With regard to Sunday services, I was really pleased to be able to work closely with the previous operator, Arriva, to push for enhanced capacity on the Aberdare line on Sundays, which is now built into that new timetable moving forward. But we must make sure that trains run at the times people need them if we are to make that modal shift that's so important.

That brings me on to rolling stock. Obviously, rolling stock is vital to provide a safe and comfortable passenger experience and also to ensure service reliability. The metro and the proposed global centre of rail excellence offer us exciting opportunities, where Wales can be known for cutting edge rolling stock rather than the prolific, prehistoric pacers that we're currently saddled with. But the challenge in the interim is how to manage customer expectations in those few years when we're still changing over to the new rolling stock.

I want to make one final point as we're talking about the future of Wales's railways. It may come as no surprise that I'm keen for the extension of passenger rail services in my own constituency. I've had lots of sensible suggestions from constituents for new stations, but most frequently of all in terms of the village of Hirwaun. There the line is still in place, formerly used by Tower colliery, and that project has been a long-term aim of countless national transport plans. When the economy committee took evidence recently from Transport for Wales, I was a little shocked by the statement that reopening the track to Hirwaun could potentially take as long as 20 years. I really do hope that this is not the case and that we can make progress on this, which would be welcomed by so many of my constituents.