3. Will the Minister make a statement on planned improvements to rail services in Mid and West Wales? OAQ54225

Yes, of course. Transport for Wales will be improving and increasing rail services across Mid and West Wales, including, I'm pleased to say, Llywydd, introducing brand new trains in 2022, which have more capacity, they'll have air conditioning and they'll have power sockets.

I'm grateful to the Minister for his answer, particularly with regard to capacity. The issue of overcrowding on the railways was raised with the First Minister in this place yesterday. Unfortunately, that's not an isolated concern. Constituents from across the mid and west region have been contacting me citing real concerns about the line that runs across mid Wales to Shrewsbury in particular. Examples included delays ranging from 30 minutes to an hour being just routine and an increasing lack of carriages and seats on those trains—one constituent counting 26 people standing up in one carriage—and, obviously, I'm sure the Minister would agree with me that this isn't acceptable and it is regrettable that these were the same sorts of complaints that we heard under the previous franchise. Last July, the Minister provided us with details of the new franchise agreement that stipulates that Transport for Wales will be penalised if passengers are forced to stand for longer than 20 minutes. Could the Minister reassure my constituents that that commitment to reduce standing on trains will be honoured and could he give us some sort of idea of the timescale for the additional capacity that he mentioned to me in his original answer?

Yes, of course. I've got some comprehensive information in front of me concerning the delivery of new trains and improved services. In addition, I have established next week an opportunity for Members to be briefed on developments on the Wales and Borders franchise network and there will be a drop-in centre between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. I think it is worth stating that pressure on capacity is something that still affects the rail franchise because we've just inherited something that was designed on the basis of zero growth but which, in fact, grew considerably from something in the region of 19 million passengers to 27 million passengers when the franchise ended last year, but we are committed to delivering £800 million-worth of trains during this franchise period. Already, we have introduced the delay repay 15-minute fare repay system; we have introduced 3,000 new advance fares; we've launched the new Wrexham to Liverpool service along the Halton curve; additional class 153 trains have been introduced to the franchise; community rail vision projects have been developed and unveiled; we now have the class 37 service operating on the Rhymney line; and work on the Taffs Well depot will start this month.

In the coming months, I'm pleased to be able to inform the Member that mark 4 trains will replace pacers and mark 3 trains. In September, applications open for the new style concessionary travel cards for current passholders. In September, again, of this year, we are going to be launching a station improvement vision. New community rail partnerships will be established in the same month. They'll concern the Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr line and also the Cardiff-Rhymney line.

We'll see timetable changes in December of this year that will deliver four trains per hour between Cardiff and Bridgend, and, on Sundays, over 200 more services will run across Wales. Just in the new year, in January, the young people fare initiative will begin, with free travel for under fives extended to young people under the age of 11, and, for 16s, there will be free off-peak travel when accompanied by an adult.

By the middle of next year, I'm pleased to inform Members that the new Bow Street station will have opened and TfW will have moved its headquarters to Pontypridd by September of next year. There is huge excitement and an enormous amount of work taking place across Wales and the borders area right now. New trains that will operate on the lines are being built at this very moment in Newport at CAF, who we attracted here from Spain, but I can assure Members, if you wish to have any further information or ask any further questions, please do so at the drop-in next Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Minister, I'm sure you will agree with me that one way of improving rail services for people living in Mid and West Wales is to reduce journey times. Now, the proposed west Wales parkway north of Swansea would deliver journey time savings for commuters travelling from my constituency to Cardiff of up to 15 minutes each way by cutting the need to travel through the centre of Swansea. It could also encourage a modal shift from the car to the train and that, in turn, would help to reduce congestion on key roads in the region as well. Can you therefore give us an update on this proposed project, and what discussions are you having as a Government regarding this proposed plan?

I've discussed this particular plan with the Secretary of State for Wales just in recent weeks. We are supportive of the proposal in principle, provided we can also have the assurance over additional funding, not just to introduce trains to the lines, but also to ensure that those trains can operate. We will need an increase in the subsidy from the Department for Transport or, indeed, from the UK Treasury.

I think there's also potential, if objections can be removed, for an open-access operator, such as Grand Union Trains, to utilise that particular parkway station, if it is developed, operating rapid express services between Swansea and London. But, of course, there is the other issue of the Keith Williams review, and I would restate the Welsh Government's position on the review that's being undertaken right now, and that is for the devolution of powers over rail infrastructure and, of course, funding for it as well.