3. Statement by the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales: Burns Recommendations — Next Steps

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:50 pm on 8 December 2020.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 3:50, 8 December 2020

Can I thank Alun Davies for the points he raises and the questions that he raised? If I may, I'll just recap some of the areas of spend that the Welsh Government has made since 2001 in terms of rail infrastructure. There's the Vale of Glamorgan line reopening, the Ebbw valley line reopening, and new stations under development or being constructed at the moment include Bow Street, Ebbw town and Pye Corner—some have been completed, of course. There are the Merthyr frequency enhancements that we've invested in, and, of course, ongoing investment in the development of improvements between Wrexham and Chester on the line in the north. And, course, we're investing very heavily in the transformation of the core Valleys lines. So, as Alun Davies has outlined, our investment in rail infrastructure cannot be doubted. What we need now is the delivery of the Burns recommendations, and, to achieve that, UK Government investment.

Alun Davies is absolutely right that there must be affordable and attractive alternatives to the use of the private car, and in terms of making alternatives attractive, they have to be regular, they have to be rapid and they have to be reliable. And that's why the four trains per hour on the Ebbw line is such an important aim for the Welsh Government, and why we are so determined to ensure that four trains per hour are provided. I totally accept the point that the number of stops should be minimised in order to ensure that a service is rapid and that people are able to travel from A to B in less time than they would using their own vehicle, but, obviously, there is also the balance that needs to be struck with ensuring that people across an entire region have public transport that is accessible to them, and that we are able to maintain a strong farebox receipt in order to make those services sustainable.

In terms of the Ebbw Vale enhancements that are required, obviously, to deliver four trains per hour, it will require quite considerable investment by Network Rail, but we are working towards ensuring that that can happen. Because people in some of the most disadvantaged and distant communities in Wales, as in the UK as a whole, have been poorly served by rail investment, outside of the south-east of England, for far too long. That needs to be addressed as part of the levelling up agenda across the UK, and particularly within Wales.