The Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, has welcomed plans by the UK Government to begin the
process of bringing rail services into public ownership across
Great Britain.
The plans, outlined in the King's Speech, support the Welsh
Government's longstanding call to be allowed to retain the Wales
and Borders rail service within the public sector. This
legislative change will help secure the position of Transport for
Wales allowing them to maximise the benefits of integrating rail
with other forms of public transport, particularly buses, through
the forthcoming Welsh Bus Bill.
Responding to the announcement, Transport Secretary, said:
“I welcome the UK Government's commitment to end rail franchising
and bring rail services back into the public sector. This is
something we have long been calling for, so it's fantastic to see
this becoming a reality under a new UK Government.
“The railway is a fundamental public service belonging to us all,
and its place is in the public sector rather than in the hands of
shareholders and private investors.
“We are demonstrating the benefits of a publicly owned rail
operator that is focussed on delivering for people, not profit,
with Transport for Wales now the most reliable operator in
Wales.
“I have already met with UK Government Secretary of State for
Transport to set out our priorities for rail reform in Wales and
now that we have a UK Government that wants to work with us to
deliver this change, I am confident we can continue to improve
services for rail passengers across Wales and the
Borders.
