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“Rail is number one spending priority for Wales”
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has said that getting Wales better rail funding is at the "top of my shopping list".
Speaking in the Welsh Affairs Select Committee in Westminster, Stevens stated that she wanted to see a "realistic start to a sustainable pot of rail infrastructure funding for Wales". She also said that, historically, rail services in Wales have been underfunded.
Ms Stevens told the committee that rail in Wales is "not good enough" and that is because of 14 years of "underfunding by previous governments". A "direction of travel" has been decided along with the Department for Transport and the Welsh Government, with agreement on three "key points".
Wales has not received its fair share of funding. The Burns Commission and Union Connectivity Review suggestions for future development is a "good blueprint". We want to work together, the Welsh Government and the UK’s, to begin to remedy this through the upcoming Spending Review.
Ms Stevens said that "both governments are clear we've got to break this cycle of underinvestment".
Regarding HS2, she would not agree with a request by Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake to ask the Treasury to reclassify the project, saying that decision was "in the past".
Stevens said: "I think we need to stop deriving the future of rail in Wales from HS2, I can't change what happened in the past, but I can change what happens in the future: we need sustainable funding of our own.
“I want to see investment into rail in Wales. Because HS2 was designated as an England and Wales project, Wales gets no additional funding as a result despite none of the planned track reaching the country.”
Differing figures have been given for how much politicians think Wales is owed from HS2, from £4bn suggested by Plaid and the Welsh Government in the past to £350m in the most recent figures from Welsh ministers.
"What I can say is there has been historic underfunding for rail services in Wales, and that's why I'm going to do something about it."
Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Advisor, Ellis Shelton, said: “While discussions about passenger rail investment in Wales are important, the government must not overlook the vital role of rail freight in supporting Wales' economy and sustainable transport goals.
"Rail freight is essential for connecting Welsh ports, industrial centres and businesses to markets across the UK and beyond. It is critical that rail infrastructure is improved and rail freight operators given appropriate access to the upgraded network.
“Efficient rail freight corridors are key to reducing road congestion, lowering carbon emissions and supporting Welsh industries. Any comprehensive rail investment strategy for Wales should include targeted improvements to freight capacity, especially along key routes like the South Wales Main Line and North Wales Coast Line.
"It is important to remember that the economic benefits of enhanced rail freight capabilities would extend far beyond the railway sector, supporting jobs and growth across Welsh manufacturing, energy and logistics industries and Logistics UK will be pressing this point in discussions with government in the coming days.”
Published On: 03/03/2025 12:30:57
