Train Capacity

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 26 February 2020.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:01, 26 February 2020

Could I just address my thanks to Network Rail, TfW? Representatives from the Secretary of State's office as well have been part of the meetings that have been organised alongside Pencoed Town Council, myself and Chris Elmore, the MP, in order to make the case and to actually get us to the stage where we have now completed the Welsh transport appraisal guidance first phase study into the level crossing, but also the enhancements that are needed on the Pencoed bridge road crossing as well. But will he accept that, in order to take this forward, not just with the WelTAG 2, but to make the case for the moneys—and I thank the Minister for the meeting he held recently with Huw David of Bridgend and ourselves—we will have to have all players at the table. It will have to be the local authority in terms of highways and urban structure around the railway if we move to closing the crossing, but there will also need to be major investment from the UK Department of Transport as well. And it's good to have had the Secretary of State as an observer in these meetings, but we're rapidly moving to the point where they'll have to look to put their hand in their pocket.

Could I also ask, please, that, in terms of doing this, the criticality of increasing frequency of service from all the way—? Maesteg, Sarn, Tondu, Pontyclun, Pencoed, Llanharan are all reliant on this. But could I ask him: is he going to continue to urge for progress as well on increased frequency on the Maesteg to Cheltenham line as well? Because that, equally—if we can unlock Pencoed, then that can happen as well.