Latest news with #ComprehensiveSpendingReview
Wales Online
04-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Work to upgrade North Wales cross border rail line given the go-ahead
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Work to transform the Wrexham to Liverpool line has been given the green light, with upgrades on the line at Padeswood confirmed. The Welsh Government says it is the first major step to realise more rail services between the two cities. Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates and Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens visited the site yesterday (Thursday) to see the planned upgrades. The Welsh Government says the UK Government has committed to supporting the work at Padeswood as part of last month's Comprehensive Spending Review. The overall UK Government investment in Welsh rail, worth at least £445 million, will see people across Wales benefit from better access to jobs and opportunities as a result of improved infrastructure and more frequent services . A Welsh Government statement said: "The work will see a major component of the Network North Wales vision delivered within three years, resulting in two trains an hour operating along the line. Padeswood also serves the Heidelberg cement works, and the upgrade will make it easier for freight to enter and exit the site." (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live) Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: 'Delivering the upgrade at Padeswood will bring real economic benefits, helping the cement works and improving connectivity between Wrexham and Liverpool, increasing services to two trains per hour. 'It was fantastic to hear the UK Government's commitment to this project, which campaigners have pushed for over many decades. Two governments, working in partnership, will deliver this key part of the Network North Wales. 'Network North Wales is about delivering an integrated, high-frequency public transport network, connecting people to jobs, opportunity, community and a better quality of life. "While Padeswood is predicted to be delivered in the next three years, more immediate changes include 50 per cent more trains on the North Wales mainline, more trains between Chester and Wrexham and the start of the roll out of Pay as You Go delivering better transport in the region.' Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: "The UK Government is investing in Wales' future and unleashing our country's economic potential. "We promised we would deal with the historical under-investment in Wales' rail network and announcing at least £445 million in the Spending Review delivered on that pledge. 'Working alongside Welsh Government it will mean brand-new stations, upgrades on the line in places like Padeswood and more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with jobs and helping to grow the economy.' Work will now take place on the design of the scheme ahead of implementation. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
04-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Work to upgrade North Wales cross border rail line given the go-ahead
Work to transform the Wrexham to Liverpool line has been given the green light, with upgrades on the line at Padeswood confirmed. The Welsh Government says it is the first major step to realise more rail services between the two cities. Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates and Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens visited the site yesterday (Thursday) to see the planned upgrades. The Welsh Government says the UK Government has committed to supporting the work at Padeswood as part of last month's Comprehensive Spending Review. The overall UK Government investment in Welsh rail, worth at least £445 million, will see people across Wales benefit from better access to jobs and opportunities as a result of improved infrastructure and more frequent services . A Welsh Government statement said: "The work will see a major component of the Network North Wales vision delivered within three years, resulting in two trains an hour operating along the line. Padeswood also serves the Heidelberg cement works, and the upgrade will make it easier for freight to enter and exit the site." Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: 'Delivering the upgrade at Padeswood will bring real economic benefits, helping the cement works and improving connectivity between Wrexham and Liverpool, increasing services to two trains per hour. 'It was fantastic to hear the UK Government's commitment to this project, which campaigners have pushed for over many decades. Two governments, working in partnership, will deliver this key part of the Network North Wales. 'Network North Wales is about delivering an integrated, high-frequency public transport network, connecting people to jobs, opportunity, community and a better quality of life. "While Padeswood is predicted to be delivered in the next three years, more immediate changes include 50 per cent more trains on the North Wales mainline, more trains between Chester and Wrexham and the start of the roll out of Pay as You Go delivering better transport in the region.' Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: "The UK Government is investing in Wales' future and unleashing our country's economic potential. "We promised we would deal with the historical under-investment in Wales' rail network and announcing at least £445 million in the Spending Review delivered on that pledge. 'Working alongside Welsh Government it will mean brand-new stations, upgrades on the line in places like Padeswood and more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with jobs and helping to grow the economy.' Work will now take place on the design of the scheme ahead of implementation.
Leader Live
04-07-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Transformation of Wrexham-Liverpool rail line to begin
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates and Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens visited the site on Thursday, (July 3) to see the planned upgrades. (Image: Newsquest) The UK Government committed to supporting the work at Padeswood as part of last month's Comprehensive Spending Review. The overall UK Government investment in Welsh rail, worth at least £445 million, will see people across Wales benefit from better access to jobs and opportunities as a result of improved infrastructure and more frequent services. The work will see a major component of the Network North Wales vision delivered within three years, resulting in two trains an hour operating along the line. Padeswood also serves the Heidelberg cement works, and the upgrade will make it easier for freight to enter and exit the site. (Image: Newsquest) Ken Skates, cabinet secretary for Transport and North Wales said: 'Delivering the upgrade at Padeswood will bring real economic benefits, helping the cement works and improving connectivity between Wrexham and Liverpool, increasing services to two trains per hour. 'It was fantastic to hear the UK Government's commitment to this project, which campaigners have pushed for over many decades. Two governments, working in partnership, will deliver this key part of the Network North Wales. 'Network North Wales is about delivering an integrated, high-frequency public transport network, connecting people to jobs, opportunity, community and a better quality of life." Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales said: "The UK Government is investing in Wales' future and unleashing our country's economic potential. (Image: Newsquest) MORE NEWS: "We promised we would deal with the historical under-investment in Wales' rail network and announcing at least £445 million in the Spending Review delivered on that pledge. 'Working alongside Welsh Government it will mean brand-new stations, upgrades on the line in places like Padeswood and more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with jobs and helping to grow the economy.' Work will now take place on the design of the scheme ahead of implementation.
Wales Online
11-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Business Editor Sion Barry gives his verdict on Rachel Reeves' rail investment for Wales
Business Editor Sion Barry gives his verdict on Rachel Reeves' rail investment for Wales She confirmed £445m over ten years but is that the real figure? Rachel Reeves congratulated by the Prime Minister after delivering the Comprehensive Spending Review. (Image: PA ) In her Comprehensive Spending Review Chancellor Rachel Reeves made scant reference to Wales, but on addressing rail funding she was unequivocal. To cheers on her side of the House she said: 'For 14-years the Conservatives failed the people of Wales. Those days are over. Following representation from my right honourable friend the Welsh Secretary ( a smiling Jo Stevens) the First Minister for Wales (Eluned Morgan) and Welsh Labour MPs I am pleased to announce today £445m for rail in Wales over ten years. "That's the difference made by two Labour governments (London and Cardiff) working together to undo a generation of under-funding and neglect.' Hang on a minute £445m over ten years, did I hear that right? That would frankly be an utter joke and anualised at just £44.5m... cue incoming nukes from the opposition parties. With £80bn of rail enhancement projects in England identified up to 2040, and with Wales having around 10% of the England and Wales rail network, that would be a derisory settlement. It has been getting a rail enhancement allocation of less than 2% going back decades and under UK governments of different political colours. But what she should have clarified (and yes she had a lot to get through) is that around £300m from the ten year figure will be released over the next four years. Article continues below It also means that once projects are signed off - and we have yet to see the confirmed list - they will receive further tranches of funding in the next comprehensive spending review as they will take more than four years to complete. So, over the next decade investment in Wales should be significantly more than the £445m referenced by the Chancellor. What we now need to see is what projects will go into the Department for Transport's network rail enhancement pipeline for Wales over the next decade and potentially beyond. This is expected in the coming weeks. Once we have that, with capital expenditure assigned, it will be relatively easy to work out whether Wales is getting an equitable deal on rail investment or not. if it is getting a fair slice of projects deemed as Wales and England, then most people would be happy with that - although I believe there is still a strong case for rail to be fully devolved to Wales. So, until we have that definitive list, and whether that will include, as seems likely, the five Burns stations on the South Wales Mainline, it is like trying to complete a jigsaw without the picture on the box. Perhaps if it was' bright and shiny' then the UK Government would be announcing, as they done in England, headline grabbing Welsh rail projects with total costs running into billions and delivered over a number spending review periods. All that was mentioned by the Chancellor was the Cardiff West Junction project - needed to increase the number of trains per hour from the current two to four on the City Line that runs through Cardiff - with an estimated cost of £30m and work at Padeswood sidings in Flintshire, what will increase the number of trains able to run between Wrexham and Merseyside . In the £445m is a one off settlement of £48m for the Welsh Government for the devolved Core Valley Lines. Some £90m of the £450m is also be being kept back to effectively profile new projects that could be taken forward beyond the current four year comprehensive spending review period in a ten year rail plan for Wales. That leaves around £300m in the tank for non-devolved rail projects in Wales over the next four years, of which around £60m the Chancellor has signalled is already allocated for the Cardiff West Junction (on a section of the City Line that comes under Network Rail) and the Padeswood sidings projects. On the £48m for the Core Valley Lines, where the £1bn rail electrification project is nearing completion, that really isn't going to go very far. Some 100 kilometres of new electrified lines and infrastructure such as signalling, will require more maintenance work under so called operation, maintenance and renewal (OMR). In the process of the Core Valley Lines asset being devolved to the Welsh Government, Network Rail had initially put a fanciful book value on it running into tens of millions of pounds. If the UK Government were looking to transfer the asset say to sovereign wealth fund then fair enough, but looking to charge another government in the UK? They had seemingly forgotten that they were just custodians of a public rail asset paid for and maintained by the UK taxpayer - which of course includes those in Wales. The Welsh Government managed to agree a nominal sum of £1. However, the UK Treasury should have agreed an allocation in the annual block grant to the Welsh Government to fund the required OMR work on the Core Valley Lines. As it stands £48m over four years, and the Welsh Government has yet to confirm it will be deployed for that purpose, is far short of what is required. As well as a fairer OMR funding deal for the Core Valley Lines, the UK Government also needs to recognise, for Barnett consequential purposes, that this significant part of the rail network in Wales is devolved. That would provide a higher comparative figure for Wales which triggers the level of Barnet Formula consequentials the Welsh Government gets from an overall rise in DfT spending. For Wales the comparative figure is now just 33.5%, while for Northern Ireland and Scotland it is nearly 96%. What has been confirmed is a step in the right direction after years of rail underinvestment in Wales. The Wales Rail Board, has worked up a priority list of much needed rail enhancement projects for Wales. For them all to be realiised then Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, will have to assign a bigger share of her departmental budget to Wales. Even if the £300m leverages additional funding in further spending reviews, and while yes a significant improvement, Wales should be getting a rail enhancement project investment of between £200m to £300m annually over the next 15 years to deliver up to £4bn of new rail investment. Article continues below What the Chancellor has announced will fall short of that.
ITV News
11-06-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Mayor concerned about lack of money for new infrastructure after Chancellor unveils spending review
The Mayor of London has welcomed the government's Comprehensive Spending Review 's investment in housing and Transport for London, but said he remains concerned about the lack of money for new infrastructure. Sir Sadiq Khan said: 'I've been determined to stand up for London, and it's good news that we have won extra resources for transport and housing. I have been campaigning for years for a multi-year deal for City Hall and for Transport for London, and I welcome this agreement. 'However, I remain concerned that this spending review could result in insufficient funding for the Met and fewer police officers. 'It's also disappointing that there is no commitment today from the Treasury to invest in the new infrastructure London needs. Projects such as extending the Docklands Light Railway not only deliver economic growth across the country, but also tens of thousands of new affordable homes and jobs for Londoners.' 'Unless the Government invests in infrastructure like this in our capital, we will not be able to build the numbers of new affordable homes Londoners need. 'As mayor, I'll continue to make the case to the Government that we must work together for the benefit of our capital and the whole country. 'The way to level up other regions will never be to level down London. I'll continue to fight for the investment we need so that we can continue building a fairer, safer and greener London for everyone.' The Chancellor Rachel Reeves laid out the government's spending plans for the next three years - showing us what the government's priorities are and shaping the direction of travel until 2029. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the spending review 'could prove to be one of the most significant domestic policy events of this parliament.' Sir Sadiq Khan and King 'compared who is a bigger workaholic' The chancellor told MPs: "We are renewing Britain. But I know that too many people in too many parts of our country are yet to feel it. "This government's task, my task as chancellor, and the purpose of this spending review, is to change that." Reeves stressed the decisions made in the spending review are her decisions about the direction of government, concluding her speech by saying: "These are my choices, these are Labour's choices, these are the choices of the British people.' Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride said "the chancellor has completely lost control", saying Reeves "will need to come back here in the autumn with yet more taxes, and a cruel summer of speculation awaits."
