‘With HS2 now costing £100+ billion, there has never been a more compelling case for Welsh rail to be in Welsh hands’ - Plaid Cymru
Ann Davies MP to table amendments to the Railways Bill calling for devolution and fair funding to Wales
Plaid Cymru’s transport spokesperson Ann Davies MP has tabled three amendments to the Railways Bill calling for the devolution of rail to Wales and for the historic underfunding of Welsh rail to be addressed.
The UK Government’s Railways Bill is reaching its report stage in the House of Commons later today (Wednesday 10 June).
Plaid Cymru has long called for rail infrastructure to be devolved to Wales, in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. The party’s transport spokesperson in Westminster said that the recent announcement that HS2 could cost over £100 billion means that the case for greater control over Wales’ transport system “has never been more compelling”.
The UK Government made an announcement in February this year that it had investment plans worth £14 billion in the pipeline for Welsh rail. However, the schemes that were announced were not funded, and the cash would need to be assigned in future UK government spending reviews.
Ms Davies submitted a written question to the Department for Transport to ask whether this funding was guaranteed, but what was received was an answer relating to the commitment of £445 million over ten years and no guarantees of further funding. Ms Davies also asked for a timeline on the £14 billion investment plan and the answer received from the UK Government was "as soon as possible".
Ann Davies MP’s amendments call for the devolution of rail to Wales as well as the funding that goes along with it. She has also tabled an amendment to address the historic underfunding of Welsh rail. And lastly, she has called for a strategy on improving railways enhancement investment in rural areas of Wales.
Ms Davies said that the new Plaid Cymru Government in Wales has “hit the ground running” on this issue after the Transport Minister, Mark Hooper, wrote to his counterpart in the UK Government, Heidi Alexander last week asking for talks with the UK government to demand better rail funding for Wales.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Plaid Cymru’s transport spokesperson Ann Davies MP said:
“The current state of Wales’ rail network is simply unacceptable and reflects decades of underinvestment and structural unfairness that continue to hold our communities back. Successive UK Governments have neglected Wales’ needs, and for far too long, we had a Labour Welsh Government that failed to act with the urgency required to demand the fairness Wales deserved. But it’s time for things to change.
“Plaid Cymru has long argued that Welsh rail should be in Welsh hands, with both the powers and funding needed to build a transport system that works for the whole of Wales. It would also help address the longstanding unfairness of projects such as HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Oxford-Cambridge line, which are all England-only projects, but are funded in part by Welsh taxpayers despite offering little or no direct benefit to Wales. With the projected cost of HS2 now exceeding £100 billion, the case for a fair funding settlement and greater control over Wales’ transport system has never been more compelling.
“Last month, the people of Wales elected a Plaid Cymru Government with a clear mandate to secure the devolution of rail. I am very glad to see that the Welsh Government’s Transport Minister has hit the ground running and urged for a meeting with the UK Government to work constructively on these demands. Our communities cannot afford to lose out on further investment. The case has been made, the mandate has been given, and there is simply no time to waste in delivering the fair rail settlement that Wales deserves.”