Minister calls £30m Welsh rail Budget allocation ‘an insult’

Mark Mansfield

Wales’ Deputy Minister for Transport has branded the UK Budget’s £30 million rail allocation “an insult” after the Welsh Government sought £1 billion towards a promised £14 billion investment programme.

Mark Hooper said the settlement would delay improvements needed to help people reach work, hospital appointments and their families, and strengthened the case for devolving responsibility for rail infrastructure.

The funding, announced for Cardiff Parkway station, amounts to 3% of the £1 billion Welsh ministers had requested in the Budget.

“This figure is an insult to the people of Wales,” Mr Hooper said.

“It means more people in Wales struggling to get to hospital appointments, taking longer to get to work or see their family. It’s a missed opportunity for economic growth and tackling climate change.

“We need to see their warm words turn into cold hard cash.”

The UK Government previously committed to taking forward seven stations: Magor and Undy, Llanwern, Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Cardiff Parkway and Deeside Industrial Park.

Mr Hooper rejected suggestions that station projects were not ready to proceed, saying Transport for Wales and Network Rail had agreed delivery arrangements.

“It’s wrong to say these stations aren’t shovel ready,” he said.

“The UK Government committed to deliver this money in February and since then we’ve agreed with Network Rail that Transport for Wales will deliver the stations.”

He said TfW was ready to start work and that he had pressed the UK rail minister on funding at a meeting on Thursday.

Transport for Wales’ rail vision includes five new “Burns stations” between Cardiff Central and Severn Tunnel Junction, alongside Cardiff Parkway at St Mellons.

The proposals would serve Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor and Undy, with services to Bristol Temple Meads and Cheltenham Spa.

The document says development work on the Burns stations has been completed and funding allocated, with scheme design the next stage. It notes that not all projects in the programme are fully funded.

TfW estimates the stations and associated services could enable more than two million additional passenger journeys annually by 2036.

Mr Hooper said Wales accounted for 10% of Great Britain’s rail network but received just 1% of Network Rail’s spending.

“The UK Government’s continued failure to invest in their network in Wales demonstrates, now, more than ever, the need for devolution of rail,” he said.

“We will stand up for Wales and continue to press for fairer rail funding and a clear pathway to full rail devolution.”

Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesperson Ben Lake also criticised the lack of progress on the seven-station package, saying Cardiff Parkway had already been announced in February.

‘Massive boost’

Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates defended the wider Budget, describing it as a “massive boost” for public services in Wales.

“Plaid Cymru have a massive additional amount of money to improve public services in Wales and should focus on the job of delivering for people, rather than obsess over breaking up Britain,” he said.