Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales: A new partnership to transform our railways - Sep 24

Y Dirprwy Lywydd / The Deputy Presiding Officer 16:16:47

Item 5 today is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales on a new partnership to transform our railways. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates.

Ken Skates 16:17:00

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales

Dirprwy Lywydd, two Labour Governments working in partnership, in Wales and in Westminster, is already making a difference. Take the passenger services Bill that was introduced by the UK Government in July, just weeks after the general election. This legislative change immediately delivers on one of Welsh Government's long-standing asks: to call time on private sector franchises and bring rail services back into the public realm.

We've long argued that the railway is a fundamental public service, and that its rightful place is in the public sector rather than in the hands of shareholders and private investors. And that isn't an ideological point, it's about what works.

Through Transport for Wales, we are already demonstrating the benefits of a publicly owned rail operator that is solely focused on delivering for the people, businesses and communities it serves. Yes, it's been tough at times for passengers in Wales over the past few years. We must have the humility to recognise that. Change is not easy, it doesn't happen overnight. But TfW are now consistently one of the most reliable operators in Wales. They've achieved the biggest improvement in punctuality of any rail operator across Britain for the last quarter, and are delivering an 80 per cent increase in the number of rail carriages serving passengers on the TfW network.

Now, voices in this Chamber have been quick to criticise TfW, and this Welsh Government, when rail performance has been poor, and of course that is the job of the opposition. But I do hope that Members across this Chamber will recognise the magnitude of what TfW has delivered over the course of this year, and what it means in terms of the day-to-day experience of passengers: a better, more reliable service; scaling up services, rather than the managed decline we saw under the Tories; and near the top of the pack, not the bottom of the pile, when it comes to the age profile of our rail fleet.

The introduction of the buses Bill next year will reform the way the local bus service networks are planned and delivered for the benefit of people across Wales. This, alongside the passenger services Bill, will make it easier to integrate rail and bus services and deliver on our vision of one network, one timetable, one ticket. It also represents an early proof-point in the new partnership that we've formed with the UK Labour Government to transform our railways, and I look forward to hearing the views of Members of this Senedd when we debate legislative consent for this change, which I of course support.

Looking beyond that, Members will be aware that the UK Government has announced its intention to introduce the rail reform Bill next year. I see this as a huge opportunity. When I met with the new UK rail Minister, Lord Hendy, over the summer, we committed to working in partnership to deliver a better railway for Wales. Part of that is about delivering a fundamental reform of Wales's rail operating model. It is the most complex of all UK nations. 

This includes establishing an empowered Wales and borders business unit within Great British Railways—a GBR Cymru that delivers against Welsh priorities and is properly accountable to Welsh Ministers and to this Senedd. We also wish to see Wales given a real voice on services operating to and from Wales, which is particularly relevant at a time when passengers in north Wales are being so badly let down in terms of those vital services to and from London. And while there is much detailed work to do on developing the GBR Cymru proposition, I am delighted that the UK Government has already committed to a statutory role for Welsh Ministers on managing, planning and developing the rail industry in Wales.

Dirprwy Lywydd, that really does signal a step change from our current position. It gives the lie to the claims we've heard again and again from the opposition benches that, somehow, Labour at the UK level isn't delivering for Wales. The biggest structural reform of the industry in Wales for a generation is now within reach, and just compare that to life under the previous administration at Westminster, who lumped Wales in with the western region and directed Network Rail to deliver a managed decline of our rail assets here in Wales.

And to its great credit, the industry isn't sitting on its hands and waiting for the political process to run its course. Cyfuno, which brings together TfW and Network Rail, has already made great progress in terms of delivering efficiencies, identifying better ways of working and opportunities for collaboration, and it provides an obvious vehicle for the detailed work that must take place to shape GBR Cymru at an industrial level.

Industry collaboration has also been key in terms of the announcement I made just last month that we now have firm plans in place to deliver a massive increase in services along the north Wales coast. A 50 per cent increase in Transport for Wales services, enabled by a series of changes to be delivered by Network Rail, will also improve safety within communities, and was announced within months of the general election—Labour in Wales and Labour in Westminster, working together to deliver a transformational increase in connectivity in north Wales. Contrast that with the so-called 'cast-iron guarantees' we saw from the previous administration, which, as we saw in the letter that emerged during the general election, were little more than empty promises, with no funding or formal remit underpinning them.

I'm under no illusion in terms of the scale of the challenges ahead. On the core Valleys lines transformation in particular, we are at a critical stage of delivery. We've now been running an uplifted timetable for three months, enabled by the completion of major infrastructure upgrades between Cardiff Queen Street, Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr. I know it's incredibly frustrating for passengers and communities when major infrastructure projects disrupt their daily lives, routines and travel patterns—believe me, I really do empathise and I'm incredibly grateful to people for bearing with us—but the prize really will be worth it. The brand-new electric trains will start to enter service in the Valleys later this year, and people will begin to see real light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to this game-changing project for the south Wales Valleys.

During the National Eisteddfod, attended by people from right across Wales, we had a preview of the difference metro will make for our communities. This was such a powerful reminder of the ability of transport projects to transform people's lives.

Llywydd, we know that the UK Government has been left with a poisonous economic legacy, and that the money simply isn't there to deliver all of the changes that we'd like to see right across our transport network. But at the same time, I absolutely recognise that people and communities across Wales, and their representatives in this Senedd, are anxious to see their areas benefit from the kind of transformational change being delivered by this Welsh Government on the core Valleys lines. Personally, I'm particularly keen to see progress on the rail priorities identified by Lord Burns in south-east Wales and in north Wales, including kick-starting plans for a metro-style service on the borderlands line.

Through the Wales rail board, my officials are now working at pace with their counterparts at the Department for Transport to deliver on our general election manifesto commitment to create a jointly agreed enhancements pipeline for Wales. A collaborative approach on enhancements, underpinned by meaningful rail reform that will deliver huge benefits for passengers—this is a new partnership to transform our railways. Diolch. 

Therefore, please, everybody keep to their time so I can call as many as possible. Natasha Asghar.

Natasha Asghar 16:24:47

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for this afternoon's statement. Since taking on this role, I sincerely do admire your passion and also enthusiasm for this particular position.

Now, the statement paints a rather rosy picture of Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government's performance, but in reality, for me, it couldn't be further from the truth. As you said, Cabinet Secretary, the UK Government is pushing ahead with plans to nationalise the railways in England. Clearly, the new Labour UK Government didn't look across the border to see how nationalised rail is working here in Wales, because I imagine if they had, they'd sooner change their minds. Under Labour's watch here in Wales, our residents are not, sadly, receiving the service they deserve when it comes to rail and, as I'm sure many Members across the Chamber can indeed attest to, having seen the level of e-mails they get in their inboxes.

In your statement, Cabinet Secretary, you sing Transport for Wales's praises, saying the organisation is

'already demonstrating the benefits of a publicly owned rail operator',

and it did hit home with me, Cabinet Secretary, because I did feel—were we in fact talking about the same Transport for Wales? Because the one I know lost some £300 million last year, has been bailed out to the tune of £125 million, has coughed up £1.8 million in delay repay compensation in just one year, and spent nearly £100,000 a month in just software alone, with taxpayers footing the bill for all of this.

Cabinet Secretary, you describe Transport for Wales as, and I quote,

'the most reliable operator in Wales',

yet, sadly, the feeling on the ground paints a completely different picture. A YouGov poll found that, out of 1,000 people surveyed, 45 per cent of them believed the services provided by Transport for Wales were indeed unreliable.

Cabinet Secretary, you talk about delivering a

'one network, one timetable, one ticket'

system. Over the years, I have constantly called for an-all Wales travel card to be rolled out, in a bid to make using public transport more accessible. My suggestion received a very warm response from the then First Minister, Mark Drakeford, and I'm genuinely glad to see the premise of that has been pushed forward by the Welsh Government now.

Cabinet Secretary, could you please briefly touch upon how you will be able to use the one-ticket system under your plans, going forward? I would also be interested in receiving an update on the success of the recently rolled out tap on, tap off technology between Cardiff Central, Newport, Pontyclun and stations up to Ebbw Vale. An explanation of how exactly you envisage Welsh Ministers feeding into GBR Cymru would also be greatly appreciated, Cabinet Secretary. And I'm also curious to know if Welsh taxpayers will be required to meet some of the costs in this new body.

To deliver an effective railway service, we need to have better infrastructure—it's a song that many of us sing from around the Chamber—but does this new partnership with Labour in Westminster mean we will now see vital projects, like Cardiff parkway and a major event stabling line delivered? You talk about Labour delivering for Wales, but that simply isn't the case, is it, Cabinet Secretary? Labour has overseen record NHS waiting times, with our health service in crisis, poor education standards, and now snatching away £110 million from our pensioners' pockets here in Wales. Is this really what Labour delivering looks like, Cabinet Secretary, for the people of Wales?

In your statement, you say both Labour Governments, here in Wales and also Westminster, will

'deliver a transformational increase in connectivity in north Wales.'

So, can you please specifically outline what sort of transformation residents can indeed see who live in north Wales? Also, we know too well that north Wales can be seen as short-changed when compared to south Wales—as a resident of south-east Wales, I should declare that as indeed my patch—will you therefore commit, Cabinet Secretary, to ending the discrepancy, going forward, between the north and the south?

Cabinet Secretary, can I also get a commitment from you that you will keep the Senedd updated to these developments, going forward? Thank you very much for your statement.

16:25

Ken Skates 16:28:16

Well, can I thank Natasha Asghar for her contribution today and for her questions? Many of those questions are incredibly important, I think—her questions about the future of Great British Railways and Welsh Government's role in ensuring that we get the enhancements that Welsh communities expect and rightly deserve.

I've already had really productive discussions with the rail Minister. One of the advantages of having a former chair of Network Rail as the new rail Minister is that you have one of the most highly respected experts on rail in a key position, and somebody who knows Wales incredibly well. He is very familiar with the work of Lord Burns, for example, and he also penned the 'Union Connectivity Review', which provided some inspirational ideas for how to improve rail services and rail infrastructure right across Wales. Particularly, when I was on the backbenches recently, I took an interest in how it would provide a template for better infrastructure in north Wales, and it really, really is great to see Lord Hendy in that position now in Government.

Now, I'm just going to talk briefly about delivery and performance. In terms of performance, as the First Minister has said, and as the Trefnydd said earlier, Transport for Wales is now the most reliable operator in Wales, ahead of GWR, ahead of Avanti West Coast, ahead of CrossCountry. You only need to look at comparison between TfW services and Avanti, actually, which is not our responsibility, to gauge just how significant the improvements are in Transport for Wales. Seventy-nine per cent punctuality—that's on time to three minute for Transport for Wales; the equivalent statistic for Avanti is just 54 per cent. Avanti has seen 18.1 per cent of their trains cancelled; the equivalent for Transport for Wales is 4.7 per cent. In April, May and June, Transport for Wales achieved the biggest improvement in both punctuality and reliability across Great Britain. The trajectory is up in terms of reliability and punctuality, and that is now showing. There is always a lag with public confidence and satisfaction, but that is now showing, with satisfaction rates rising as well. The only way to reduce the public subsidy for rail services is to increase the farebox, and that is precisely what is happening right now with Transport for Wales services.

And in terms of what we are delivering, well, let's take the trains: £800 million-worth of trains. We inherited one of the oldest fleets in Britain: 270 or so trains we inherited from Arriva Trains Wales. By the end of the delivery programme, we'll have more than 480 trains—a huge, huge uplift, and that will provide more frequent services and higher quality rolling stock for the travelling public.

I think Natasha Asghar made an important point about integrated ticketing. We wish to see integrated ticketing across different forms of public transport. Between what we're doing on rail and with the buses Bill, we will be able to deliver that, and it will also offer us an opportunity to have novel and fairer fare options for the travelling public.

The tap on and tap off service, of course, is the first of its type outside of London, and we're incredibly proud that that is in operation; it's helping to drive down the amount of journeys that are taken by people without tickets and the efforts of Transport for Wales in, as I said just earlier, raising the farebox are to be admired and congratulated, I believe.

In terms of what will be delivered for north Wales as a result of the announcement recently, well, I can confirm that there will be 50 per cent more train services from 2026. That is a huge uplift for north Wales.

Peredur Owen Griffiths 16:32:07

GBR Cymru, without real fiscal clout, is just an empty promise. Railways in Wales continue to underperform, albeit being slightly better in recent months, but it's largely due to historic and chronic underfunding. I acknowledged in a contribution last week the performance of TfW during the Eisteddfod week. But any kind of partnership that fails to address the issues will not transform our railways. It's not simply enough to promise future investment; we have to address the lack of historic investment. It can't just be jam tomorrow.

This Senedd, this Welsh Government, and the then shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, have all previously called for Wales's fair share of funding of HS2 when there was a Tory UK Government. Cabinet Secretary, this is something you said in 2020 as economy Minister. You declared that Wales should receive an estimated consequential of around £5 billion from HS2. This would undeniably help address the lack of investment on Wales's railways. In the run-up to the election in May, as a Labour win looked more likely, a shift happened, to manage expectations, from £4 billion to £350 million. After May's election, we were promised that two Labour Governments, on each side of the M4, would benefit Wales, yet we're still waiting for the Labour Government to cough up. This begs the question: what kind of partnership or insurance policy is this? If this was a genuine partnership of equals, Wales would not get dictated to by the Treasury. Clearly, this is not a partnership or a way of working that will truly transform Welsh railways, so I ask you, Cabinet Secretary: do you believe, as you did in 2020, that Wales should receive billions, or even hundreds of millions, from HS2 spend? If so, will you fight for that funding in this new partnership to ensure that it transforms our railway networks?

Now, moving on to future funding arrangements, we can assume from Labour's reluctance to devolve the Crown Estate, or to give Wales the money it is owed from HS2, that full devolution of rail infrastructure is off the cards for the time being. It seems only a Plaid Cymru Government leading Wales would fight for this. I acknowledge that this statement is a step in the right direction, and, pardon the pun, I hope you're on the right tracks, however it stops short of what is needed to tackle historical underfunding in our transport network, so, Cabinet Secretary, will you commit to calling for the administration of the capital spending on railways in Wales? Could you elaborate on the mechanism and the partnership in GBR Cymru to be developed that gives Wales the freedom to spend on rail infrastructure projects rather than having to ask permission for each new project? Do you agree with me and Plaid Cymru that those who live, work and govern here know where the money should be spent?

Ken Skates 16:35:19

Can I thank Peredur for his questions? He raises again a number of important points that I'm sure Members across this Chamber would like to ask; I apologise if I repeat any points during the course of my responses. But, in terms of HS2, our position remains the same. Our position remains, in terms of the principle of getting a consequential, that we should. The project, though, was, obviously, decimated when the second leg was cancelled by the UK Government. I would say that the letter that was sent by the finance Minister outlines the level of consequential that we would expect. It is in the region of £350 million as a result of HS2 not proceeding as was planned. However, HS2 itself is under review now by the new UK Labour Government, so we must await the outcome of its deliberations.

In terms of the actual quantum of funding, though, I would also say that there are even bigger prizes to be won from this new partnership with the UK Government, and if you just look at some of the priorities that are jointly agreed through the Wales rail board—a new partnership that will be enhanced with new Ministers at Westminster—some of the projects amount to many, many, many hundreds of millions of pounds, and would not be funded by £350 million of consequential funding. So, whilst that is a significant sum of money, the actual work that's required to address what the Member has outlined as a lack of historic investment is far, far greater.

Now, in terms of devolution, our position remains the same on devolution as well. As a long-term objective, having full devolution of rail infrastructure, along with fair funding, remains our ambition, but we do recognise that this is a process. And, actually, the establishment of Great British Railways, with Great British Railways Cymru right at its heart, is hugely valuable in terms of being able to have a say on what enhancements should take place in Wales. And we're in discussions about GBR Cymru having a dedicated enhancements fund so that it will be able to deliver against the priorities that we have identified. And that is, effectively, devolution of decision making within a wider GB network.

Now, the alternative from Plaid to have immediate devolution is fraught with dangers because, when you take on an asset like a national railway line, often you do not realise or appreciate, at the point of it being transferred, just how much work is required to update an ageing and crippling piece of infrastructure. So, it's vitally important that we get the Welsh rail infrastructure upgraded as part of a process of devolving responsibilities and fair funding for it.

The other alternative, which I must say, from Plaid Cymru is independence, of course. That comes with it a huge fiscal gap. I think, at the last estimate, it was about £13 billion. That would not in any way be beneficial for Welsh railways or for Wales as a whole.

Hannah Blythyn 16:38:26

Thank you for today's statement.

The announcement over improved services on the north Wales coast main line is welcome and well warranted. I think for too long many people in north Wales have had to put with too poor services, particularly to and from north Wales to London. And I look forward with hope to two Governments working together around transforming not just services, but the infrastructure that underpins them. I speak as a Member that only has, currently, one train station in the whole of my constituency, and that is in Flint, and I very much recognise the work that's gone into Flint recently there in terms of the new, accessible station.

Cabinet Secretary, you'll be familiar with my work since being elected to support a new station in the Greenfield area in my constituency. Back in, I think, if you can remember, in 2018, you visited the site and also the steering group. And since then we were able to secure funding from the Welsh Government for a feasibility study, and they've had a preferred site recommendation. But, sadly, since then, TfW has said there's no further work on it, subject to any funding for that. So, can I ask you—? I know you were due to visit again more recently, but it had to be postponed. So, can I ask you to recommit to coming along to visit the group involved with that, and also to consider how, actually, that station could go ahead in the future?

And if I may, Dirprwy Lywydd, just very, very briefly—

Y Dirprwy Lywydd / The Deputy Presiding Officer 16:39:50

No, you haven't got a lot of time, because I've got so many others wishing to speak.

Ken Skates 16:39:57

Dirprwy Lywydd, can I thank Hannah Blythyn for her question? I would really like to revisit Greenfield with the Member and also meet with local councillors and campaigners, who are very passionate about creating a station where there once was one. There are numerous sites along the north Wales coastline—I think of Mostyn in particular—that would benefit from a station. They had a station in the past at Mostyn, a fabulous one. And in terms of our long-term ambitions, it would be incredible to see more stations open, but we also have to have more capacity on the railway lines in order to ensure that we can provide more services. In that regard, it's vitally important that we get agreement, and it's one of our priorities, to take forward capacity improvements at Chester station. That will then unlock the ability to provide more services along north Wales.

Paul Davies 16:40:53

Cabinet Secretary, it's important that improvements are delivered in communities right across Wales. Today's statement refers to north Wales, south-east Wales and the south Wales Valleys, but, as usual, there is absolutely nothing in this statement about west Wales. Now, you've rightly said that it's been tough for passengers in Wales over the past few years, and people living in west Wales know that better than most. Indeed, some of your Labour colleagues have gone one step further and even referred to rail services as rubbish. Constituents now have contacted me recently to say that they've raised this particular issue with Great Western Railway and they were informed that Transport for Wales has blocked them from progressing with services further west. Now, whether the problem lies with Great Western Railway or Transport for Wales, the reality is that rail services to Pembrokeshire are not fit for purpose, and it's not fair or right for those people living further west of Carmarthen. You say that Members across this Chamber should recognise the magnitude of what Transport for Wales has delivered over the course of this year, but my constituents believe there has been no improvement in the delivery of rail services to and from Pembrokeshire. Therefore, can you provide an update on any discussions you've had with rail companies about services to Pembrokeshire, and, given your lack of reference to west Wales in your statement, can you also tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to improve transport connectivity to and from west Wales?

The Llywydd took the Chair.

Ken Skates 16:42:17

Well, can I thank Paul Davies for his questions, and say first of all— [Interruption.] TfW, as far as I'm aware, have not blocked GWR from providing more services in west Wales, and I've raised this with TfW's chief executive, who is looking into the potential of GWR operating onward services to Pembrokeshire. South-west Wales obviously is developing itself a regional transport plan, which will inform service provision on railways and in terms of bus services in the future. And west Wales is also benefiting from the £800 million order for new trains. That is providing modern trains, better trains, better services, more frequent services as well. I think I should write to the Member just outlining the increase in services—for example, the additional calls to and from Milford Haven and Haverfordwest, which is giving the towns 13, I think it is, daily services in each direction from December of this year. So, huge improvements are being made right across Wales.

Sian Gwenllian 16:43:29

As one who travels on trains very often, I agree with you that we have seen some improvement in the services provided by TfW, but there is some way to go yet, and we shouldn't rest on our laurels. I'm sure you would agree with that. Unfortunately, that isn't the case with trains operated by Avanti West Coast. Figures from the company demonstrate that travellers in north Wales suffer the most across the whole UK network from the point of view of trains being cancelled, with up to 20 per cent—one in five journeys—being cancelled every month, often without any notice. So, I would like to know what discussions you are having with Avanti and what the Welsh Government can do to hold the company to account.

There are a number of rail developments in Wales to be welcomed, and I was using the metro from Merthyr to Pontypridd during the National Eisteddfod, and had a very good journey and the staff were very welcoming. But if only we had a similar service in my constituency and in north-west Wales. Reopening the line from Bangor to Afon-wen would go some way to creating a network that's fit for purpose in the north-west, and down then to Paul Davies's constituency, ultimately, too. There has been a feasibility study completed by Transport for Wales on reopening the Bangor to Afon-wen line. When will that be published?

Ken Skates 16:45:11

Well, can I thank Siân Gwenllian for her questions as well, and pledge to have the report published as soon as I'm able to have sight of it myself? It is a co-operation agreement commitment, and I'm keen to see the results of that report, because it will potentially offer exciting prospects for the part of Wales that the Member represents.

Improvements will go on in terms of the TfW network, but I must also say to Members that 47 per cent of lost minutes on TfW services are actually due to factors that are completely out of their control, residing with Network Rail. And that's why it's so important that we form this partnership with the UK Government, and that as part of GBR, the GBR Cymru unit has a say over the investment that takes place, or actually determines the investment that takes place here in Wales.

With regard to Avanti West Coast, I've met with Avanti West Coast and I've expressed my disappointment with their performance. I've raised the issue with the Secretary of State for Transport and with the rail Minister, who have also expressed their disappointment with Avanti West Coast's performance of late. The decision of this new UK Labour Government to nationalise rail operations could be of great benefit to passengers across north Wales, as Avanti West Coast may well be first in line, or one of the first in line, to be nationalised. And we've seen, whilst it is a huge endeavour to take direct control of rail services, the benefits are very clear, and I'm hoping that in regard to Avanti West Coast's services, we will see improvements under their control, but under the proposals from the UK Government, we'll see improvements accelerated and built upon.

Julie Morgan 16:47:05

First of all, can I praise Transport for Wales for its work in the community and with politicians in Cardiff North, and for its responsiveness to many of the issues that we've raised with them? The electrification's caused a lot of disruption to residents in Cardiff North, and I have every sympathy with the residents. It has been a very difficult time.

But can I draw the Cabinet Secretary's attention to the limitations of the service on the Coryton line? There are no late-night trains—7.42 p.m. on weekdays from Cardiff Central—no Sunday service, and only two trains an hour. Next year, this line will benefit from the new electric trains, which will mean a much better experience for passengers and for residents, but can the Cabinet Secretary look at the underinvestment in the Coryton line, which has great potential, and see what more could be done?

Ken Skates 16:48:06

Can I thank Julie Morgan for her points and her queries? The Coryton line, of course, will have its first-ever Sunday service from 2025 and that will allow more people to use public transport for leisure or for work in the city centre. The brand-new trains will operate from next year on the Coryton line. They will provide more seats, they'll be modern, they'll be far more comfortable than the existing rolling stock, and they'll deliver therefore a much better experience for the travelling public.

In regard to the desire to increase service provision, there are infrastructure capacity enhancement measures such as new passing loops, signalling upgrades and modifications around Cardiff Central station itself that will be needed in order to provide the additional services that the Member is keen to see. Those improvements are actually still in the hands of Network Rail, not with Transport for Wales, and that's why it's crucially important that we work closely with them. We're already looking at a pipeline of priorities, which, I'm pleased to say, does include greater capacity through Cardiff Central.

Laura Anne Jones 16:49:14

Cabinet Secretary, thank you for your statement. Just a quick observation concerning a question, really. Can I firstly, of course, welcome the fact that Labour are willing to use a private sector company like Hitachi to deliver a better railway system? I understand that they are going to make greater use of information technology and artificial intelligence systems to deliver more efficient ticketing. I support any measure, of course, that's going to bring greater efficiency, and welcome any step forward that you've suggested today, although, obviously, as colleagues have suggested, there's a lot more to do.

But as we move forward, could I seek an assurance from you, please, that there will still be the ability for people like the elderly, who cannot get online, and who do not feel confident about doing so, to still buy tickets at stations or on the train, and that ticket offices will still contain staff, so that passengers who are disabled will be able to seek assistance from another person when using a train or a service? Thank you.

Ken Skates 16:50:08

I can give that assurance. Society and technology are moving very fast, of course, but it's important in these times of new and emerging technologies that we leave nobody behind. Transport for Wales has an accessibility panel that comprises people with lived experience, which is invaluable in shaping the decisions that are made with regard to service provision in instances such as accessible platforms, accessible ticketing systems. The tap on, tap off technology is the first of its kind outside of London. It shows the potential of IT in providing productivity improvements and enhancements, but we are very, very conscious of the need not to leave anybody behind, and that includes the elderly.

Lesley Griffiths 16:50:55

Like Siân Gwenllian, I'm a regular train user between north and south Wales, and it's really good to see so many significant improvements being brought forward by Transport for Wales. But one area where I think there needs to be some rapid improvement is improved services for disabled passengers, particularly at our stations. I've had discussions myself with Transport for Wales, and I think they agree that more needs to be done. Far too often, for example, platform changes are announced, and if you're deaf or hard of hearing, then you would not be aware of that. Very often, when these rapid platform changes come along, there is a melee where people are rushing and, again, if you're disabled or you have difficulty accessing the stairs or a lift, it's very, very confusing. I think far more needs to be done on ensuring appropriate access for disabled passengers. So, could you please outline what discussions you've had with Transport for Wales?

Ken Skates 16:51:53

Absolutely. Can I thank Lesley Griffiths for her questions? As I mentioned to Laura Jones, we have an accessibility panel advising Transport for Wales. They advise on new and refurbished trains and stations, and they represent the deaf, they represent older people and also disabled people. I'm really pleased, as well, to say that Paralympian hero Nathan Stephens is working with Transport for Wales on promoting accessible travel. We also have a diversity rail group, which is proving invaluable in driving diversity in terms of employment opportunities, and employing people with lived experience of disabling barriers can be invaluable in ensuring that stations, when they are refurbished, are refurbished in a way that takes account of all transport users.

Of course, there are real instances now of investment in stations within the Wales and borders area, of improving accessibility, for example, at Flint station, where a new bridge is currently being installed over the railway line. More work will continue at other stations. One of the challenges, I suppose, that we have to acknowledge is that our rail infrastructure, by and large, has been designed for a different age, and we are now retrofitting systems that enable people of all abilities and very limited ability to be able to access train services. So, for example, in the Valleys area, where we have full control over infrastructure, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson has given advice on how we can ensure that the access from the station platform onto trains is as short, as narrow and as flat as possible. It seems to be working, that sort of focus, in the Valleys areas, but in other areas of Wales where we have Victorian stations, the gaps can be very, very prohibitive and we're very conscious of that. That's why we need to make sure that we maintain a good degree of staff presence at stations who are able to assist those with limited mobility.

John Griffiths 16:54:05

Cabinet Secretary, as you know, there is still a lot of traffic congestion on the M4 around Newport, and, indeed, other roads around the city, and impatience to move to a more integrated transport system. So, I'm very pleased to hear you talk about Burns and a metro system for the borderlands. You know very well, I know, Cabinet Secretary, that there's great commitment to a Magor walkway train station, and also new train stations at Llanwern and Somerton, which would be an important part of that new integrated transport step forward. So, I wonder if you could say a little bit more about how those developments will be taken forward in terms of the work required and the timescale.

Ken Skates 16:54:55

Can I thank John Griffiths for his points? He has been a long advocate for development at Magor, the creation of Magor station, and I'm really pleased to have seen that that is recommended in the South East Wales Transport Commission's report. Indeed, five stations have been recommended and we've already been discussing with the UK Government the need to consider them within the context of the enhancements pipeline that is being agreed between Welsh Ministers and UK Ministers. Also, I'm very keen that the regional transport plan, which the corporate joint committee is responsible for, takes full account of the recommendations from Lord Burns and throws its weight behind the development of those five stations as well.

Alun Davies 16:55:37

The failures of the current devolution settlement, Minister, run like a fault line through my constituency. You have the Rhymney valley line, which has seen hundreds of millions of pounds of investment funded by this Welsh Government, and you have the Ebbw valley line, which is where the Welsh Government has been forced to borrow in order to deliver improvements on the line. We are not seeing equality of investment in the south Wales Valleys, because the devolution settlement is proactively stopping that from happening. We can only have a partnership of equals in terms of delivering the improvements, which I think are shared right across the whole of this Chamber, in different parts of the country. In this way, the devolution of rail infrastructure is an absolute emergency if we are to see the improvements that we want to see on the railways. I hope, Minister, that you will ensure that the devolution of infrastructure and the budget that goes with it continues to be your top priority in terms of taking forward a very welcome partnership with the new United Kingdom Government.

Ken Skates 16:56:47

I can assure the Member that the creation of GBR Cymru within Great British Railways will be game changing in terms of ensuring that we have a say over how enhancements take place and the funding that comes to Wales.

Carolyn Thomas 16:57:04

I welcome the statement. North Wales relies on funding from Westminster for maintenance of the network, and many services are cross-border and Chester station is fundamental, I know, to north Wales. As a regular passenger, I can say that the increase in capacity of 40 per cent has made a huge difference over the last year. I also welcome that services in north Wales will be increasing by 50 per cent, which will make a real difference, you know, and hopefully encourage more people to use the trains.

I notice when I used the north Wales line to Bangor and on to Holyhead, we could do more, I think, to try and encourage more passengers to use the network and then on to the ferry to Holyhead, and I was wondering what could we do to encourage that. Regarding the Wrexham to Bidston line, I was wondering what plans you have for this cross-border service, going forward. Would it come under, say, Merseyrail, Transport for Wales, or have its own circular franchise to keep the money in that route? Okay, thank you.

Ken Skates 16:58:08

Can I thank Carolyn Thomas for her questions and her proposals, as well? Transport for Wales, I believe, are about to embark on a new advertising campaign to encourage more people to use rail services. The borderlands line, I think, has some of the greatest potential of any lines on the Wales and borders network. If we can secure the funding for its upgrade, we'll be able to provide the metro-style services that we wish to see between Wrexham and direct through to Liverpool, not just between Wrexham and Bidston. We're in discussions with UK Government Ministers, obviously, but we're also in discussions with colleagues and friends in Liverpool itself over the arrangements that could be put in place to provide enhanced services on the borderlands line. It's very much one of our top priorities, as recommended by Growth Track 360.