Cefin Campbell MS has accused the Welsh Government of “empty words” over proposed plans to cut rail services on the Heart of Wales railway line.
Video from Senedd.tv
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00:00Thank you, Llywydd. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Governmentís public transport
00:04priorities for mid and west Wales? Our transport strategy Llywydd Newydd sets
00:14out our vision for all parts of Wales, including mid and west Wales. We will deliver on that
00:21strategy with reference to our national transport delivery plan, as well as the regional transport
00:29plans, which are being developed by corporate joint committees. These are the committees
00:38of several councils who join together to undertake strategic decisions for a broader region.
00:45Thank you very much. Well, time and again, you as a Government are encouraging people
00:51to use their cars less and to use public transport in order to meet climate change targets and
00:58net zero targets, but I am increasingly concerned that these are empty words, because whatís
01:04happening in the region that I represent is that there is contraction in terms of public
01:09transport. Just last week, we received confirmation that services along the Heart of Wales line,
01:19that iconic railway line that goes from Llanelli to Shrewsbury, would be curtailed from December
01:25this year. The irony, of course, is that, while transport infrastructure in mid Wales
01:30is creaking, more than £4 billion in funding is owed to Wales by Westminster for HS2. Now,
01:39just imagine the difference that that funding could make, not only to the Heart of Wales
01:44line but in transforming public transport in every part of Wales. So, as we expect,
01:50the budget of the Westminster Labour Government at the end of this month. Could we therefore
01:56have some clarity from you on whether youíve had any discussions with the Government in
02:01order to ensure that every penny of that £4 billion owed to us does come to Wales?
02:06Well, thank you very much. I donít think that itís empty rhetoric. The fact is that
02:14weíve seen, across the whole of Wales, an increase of 27 per cent in people using trains
02:21in Wales between April and June, and that is a huge increase, and something that we
02:27should celebrate. Now, I accept that that is easier in some parts of Wales compared
02:33to others, and the Heart of Wales lineóit is true to say that there is a reduction in
02:43serviceófive to fouróbut there will be additional seats available, and there will
02:47also be capacity for cyclists on that line too. But, in terms of HS2, we are still putting
02:56pressure on the UK Government for fairness in terms of whatís happened in relation to
03:04investment in that infrastructure. I donít think that figure of £4 billion is realistic,
03:11but I do want to be clear that those discussions are ongoing.