Assembly Government failing to commit to rail improvements

5.27.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 11th Oct 2006

Welsh Liberal Democrat Enterprise, Innovation and Networks spokesperson, Kirsty Williams, has expressed her concern at the lack of substance in the Andrew Davies' response to the Assembly Rail Committee's report.

The committee's report made a number of recommendations on how rail services in Wales might be improved, but none of these seem to have received a full endorsement by the Minister.

Ms Williams said: "There is little point in establishing committees just for the sake of them - we work hard collecting evidence and formulating recommendations, but the Government seems to have no appetite for taking our conclusions on board.

"The Minister has announced six engineering feasibility studies, but made no comment on timescales, and no commitment to funding any improvements that these studies might endorse. He is quick to pat himself on the back for finally making a start on the Ebbw Vale line, but will still not comment on the rolling stock that will be available. If this Government is serious about improving the train services in Wales, it is going to need to show a much stronger commitment than it has so far."

Notes:

Kirsty on a visit to the Heart of Wales Line in Llanwrtyd Wells

§ Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks made a statement on the Welsh Assembly Government's response to the report of the Rail Infrastructure Committee in plenary yesterday.

§ The Committee, which was established in February to consider potential rail improvements that could be made in Wales, came up with a list of eight schemes which it felt should be considered a priority by Government: a fast train north to south in the morning, returning to Cardiff in the late afternoon; infrastructure works near Swansea, to remove the capacity restraint at Gowerton; provision of enhanced services on the main line through west Wales, particularly west of Carmarthen; enhancing the frequency of services on the Valleys Lines at Rhymney, Pontypridd to Merthyr Tydfil, Ebbw Vale and Cardiff to Treherbert; enhancing capacity between Wrexham and Saltney by dualling most of the present single line; electrification of the Borderlands Line between Wrexham Central and Bidston; enhancing capacity on the Cambrian Main Line to allow hourly services between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth; and more and better quality rolling stock and timetable improvements on the Heart of Wales line.