2. Will the Minister provide an update on improvements to the Cambrian railway line? OQ58902

Yes, thank you. The Welsh Government is investing £800 million on a new fleet of trains that will serve passengers across Wales. This will improve passenger comfort and facilities, and these brand-new trains are now running in north Wales, and will be introduced across the whole Welsh rail network in this year and next year. 

I thank the Minister for his answer. What I have noticed is an increase in concerns of poor service on the Cambrian line in particular, on the Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury line. Passengers are frequently asked to change unexpectedly at Shrewsbury due to the numbers of units used for a through service. Now, as I've understood it, there are only 21 units currently available to operate on the Cambrian line—which I know the Minister will know has a unique signalling system—and services are often cancelled because of the lack of available units to cover mid and north Wales. The new trains proposed, as the Minister has outlined, will replace older units like for like, as I understand it, but won't increase the number available to operate the overall service. So, can I ask what the Government is doing to increase the number of units overall to provide an adequate train service for passengers on the Cambrian line in particular, and for any update you can provide on the hourly train service? Thank you. 

Yes, thank you, and Russell George is right that there have been some difficulties on the Cambrian line. The whole rail system across the country has had a difficult autumn. The new trains that we are bringing in on the Cambrian line next year will be able to carry more passengers. There will be increased capacity, and, of course, there'll be increased frequency to hourly. We'd hoped to bring them in this year, but we will be bringing them in next year, and I believe he's recently met with Transport for Wales to discuss that. 

We also have some difficulties on the Cambrian line because West Midlands Trains have not returned to a full timetable on their services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham, and that's had a knock-on effect on our own services, plus, of course, there have been the difficulties across the industry of new staff being trained through a backlog of COVID. We've had challenges with staff not willing to work overtime, and we've had infrastructure work on the Barmouth bridge, plus, then, the limitations of the existing 158 trains, which, as you say, are the only fleet able to operate on this line, which are coming to the end of their useful life. So, I'm afraid our plea to passengers is, 'Hold on, it's going to get better'. But things are difficult at the moment, and I apologise for that.