Funding for Rail Infrastructure

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 4 June 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:04, 4 June 2019

Can I join the Member in welcoming the new services between north Wales and Liverpool—the result of action that the Welsh Government took through the Mersey Dee Alliance to make sure that that happened? Of course, the Member is right to point to the timetabling difficulties at Chester, but Chris Grayling's record on timetabling is not one that gives us a great deal of confidence that that problem will be easily solved by appealing to him. We have recently had a memorandum of understanding signed between Transport for Wales and Transport for the North. That will certainly help to solve some of the barriers to the determination we have to have direct rail travel between north Wales and Liverpool, and we have the rolling stock in preparation to do that. And, when we have the co-operation we need from the UK Government, we will look to solve the problems that lie in their hands that are the barrier to this being achieved.