Wales missing out on billions of pounds for railway improvement say members

Clwyd South MP Ken Skates, who represents areas on the Shropshire border, is calling for rail to be fully devolved to the Welsh Government.

Many of the north/south services in Wales pass through Shropshire and through Chirk, a town within his constituency.

He said while transport is devolved to Wales, responsibility for track, station infrastructure and signalling remains with the UK Government.

Over the past 20 years, Wales has had less than 2 per cent of the £102 billion that the UK Government has spent on improvements, despite having five per cent of the population and 11 per cent of the track miles, members of the Welsh Parliament said this week.

North Wales member of the Senedd, Carolyn Thomas, said: “The UK Government is investing just under £100bn in HS2 rail infrastructure. If the Barnett formula were to be applied, Wales should be entitled to the population share of 5 per cent which is £5 billion. But, because the UK Government says that the [HS2] line from London to Birmingham is going to benefit Wales, we are getting nothing.

“On top of this, a levelling-up funding bid was made to UK Government for investment on the Wrexham-Bidston line, which is desperately needed. But, again, the UK Government failed to deliver investment. All we are asking for is that Wales be treated fairly.”

Mr Skates added: “The most straightforward way to address historic underfunding would be to devolve responsibilities and appropriate funding to the Welsh Government.”

Last year, Ms Thomas and Mr Skates were among the North Wales politicians to welcome the cross-party Welsh Affairs Committee’s report recommending urgent improvements in rail infrastructure across the region by the UK Government.

Recommendations included preparing a full strategic case for the upgrade and electrification of the North Wales mainline.

The report also called for the classification of HS2 as an England-only scheme – which Mr Skates said ‘could in turn generate huge consequential funds for Wales’ – and HS2 incorporating improvements around Crewe and Chester to enable North Wales to benefit from the project.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Wales is treated anything but fairly when it comes to rail investment by the UK Government. There has been a decade of neglect of investment in the infrastructure here in Wales. Just 2 per cent of the railway line in Wales is electrified. Just 22 miles. It is pathetic, and it is the direct result of broken promises.

“This Welsh Government, by contrast, goes on investing in rail services in north Wales. This year, we will increase services on the line between Wrexham and Bidston. Next year, we will provide new services between Liverpool and Llandudno. And, the year after that, there will be new services from the north to Cardiff."