Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:54 pm on 4 December 2019.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 1:54, 4 December 2019

We know we have a lack of capacity now and, of course, you talk of your ambition to increase capacity, which is good, but it is concerning to note that the capacity for the new trains, the new FLIRT trains, coming in in 2023, and the capacity quoted by Transport for Wales for standing passengers is higher than the figure quoted on the manufacturer's data sheet. The manufacturer's figures are based on providing 0.3 sq m per person, while Transport for Wales use 0.25 sq m. It's the lowest in the UK, I think, as most operators use 0.45 sq m. Even London overground have moved to using 0.35 since 2017.

You keep on telling us about your plans to increase capacity, but it sounds to me as if what you're planning to do is just stack them high, and that won't make for a good passenger experience.