Disruption to Rail Services

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:25 pm on 15 June 2022.

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Photo of Natasha Asghar Natasha Asghar Conservative 3:25, 15 June 2022

Thank you, Minister. I'm sure that you're aware that legends Tom Jones and the Stereophonics are set to play this weekend, undoubtedly in front of thousands of people, in Cardiff this Friday and Saturday. Now, only a few weeks ago, we all witnessed the complete chaos when Ed Sheeran staged three concerts in the Principality Stadium. There were 15-mile-long queues on the M4, motorists were trapped in their car parks because the city centre was in gridlock, and many people were left stranded on train platforms for hours on end because our crumbling rail network couldn't cope with the demand. To put it bluntly, Minister, Cardiff and surrounding areas were brought to a standstill because the Labour Government failed to plan ahead, and you cannot blame the Westminster Government for this.

I am sure that many here in the Chamber will agree with me that the last thing we want to see is a repeat of recent events on this coming Friday and Saturday, but sadly it appears that lessons have not been learnt, with Transport for Wales getting their excuses in and asking people not to use its services. It really is a sad state of affairs when people are being urged not to take a train because the rail network isn't fit for the twenty-first century. The Tom Jones concert and the Stereophonics concert had been in the calendar for at least six months, and anyone with this much common sense would know it's going to draw in thousands of people into the city. So, Minister, what lessons have been learnt from the Ed Sheeran fiasco, and what action is your Government going to be taking to minimise the disruption ahead of the concerts this week?

And secondly, the Welsh Government's major events strategy, which expired two years ago, had the aim of, and I quote,

'Developing a balanced and sustainable portfolio of major events which enhances Wales' international reputation and the wellbeing of its people and communities.'

Do you accept that this strategy has well and truly failed? And what discussions have you had with your colleagues about publishing an updated plan that actually does what it sets out to achieve? Thank you, Minister.