Latest news with #RailwaysBill
Wales Online
07-08-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Chancellor Rachel Reeves 'determined' to get new train stations open in Wales as 'quickly as possible'
Chancellor Rachel Reeves 'determined' to get new train stations open in Wales as 'quickly as possible' She made the statement of intent while speaking to WalesOnline on a visit to the old Dyffryn Rhondda coal tip Chancellor Rachel Reeves pictured on a visit to Wales (Image: Getty Images) Rachel Reeves has said she is determined to get new railway stations open in Wales as "quickly as possible". The chancellor made the statement of intent whilst speaking to WalesOnline as she visited Port Talbot at the now-disused Dyffryn Rhondda coal tip to see the work being done to protect families and businesses from disused coal tips. Five new railway stations are to be built as as part of a £445m investment into rail in Wales being funded by the UK Government. The hope is that stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel will provide an alternative to car travel for tens of thousands of people in southeast Wales. They were first suggested as part of a package proposed by Lord Burns who was tasked with coming up with ways of reducing congestion on the M4 now plans for a relief road to the south of Newport have been abandoned. The new stations would provide an alternative way for people to travel around southeast Wales between Cardiff and Bristol and are one of a number of rail projects now expected to begin following the announcement of £445m for rail in Wales in Ms Reeves' spring statement. Mrs Reeves speaks to the press (Image: Matthew Horwood/PA Wire) WalesOnline asked the chancellor when we can expect to see the plans develop. This is what she said. WalesOnline: 'When will people see a station being built and passengers using one of those new stations you promised?' Rachel Reeves: "I was in Cardiff just a few weeks ago seeing trains being released to go on new lines and we've committed to five new railway stations, the Burns Review stations, and better connections and more trains both in north and south Wales. We've put in £445m in this spending review period and I'm determined that we get those stations open as quickly as possible. "There's nothing stopping that money now. We've allocated it, we want it spent, and we want people on those trains to better connect people, including in the valleys, with jobs in places like Cardiff and Swansea too." WalesOnline: "Your government has accepted Wales has been underfunded on rail and while the spending review brought some money can you confirm you will use the Railways Bill to ensure the historic injustices that have affected Wales aren't repeated in future?" Rachel Reeves: "There's a proud history of railways in Wales and we want people, including here in the valleys, to be able to benefit from better train connections to get them to college and to good jobs and that's why we're putting this £445m in. "Speaking to people here today, they have told me about the population declines that we've seen in recent decades in the valleys and a lot of that reflects the lack of good work paying decent wages. "One thing we can do is better connect the jobs that are there and growing in places like Swansea and Cardiff where people do not have to uproot themselves and stay in the valleys, where they live and where they love, but be able to get access to those good jobs paying decent wages and that's why we're putting this much needed investment into railways in Wales. "This is a really good example of the UK Labour government and Welsh Labour government working in partnership to deliver for the people of Wales." Disused coal tips remain a legacy of Wales' coal industry, and present severe risks for Welsh communities from landslides or flooding. Just last November a disused coal tip in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, partially collapsed, forcing around 40 homes and families to be evacuated. The chancellor pictured talking with Walters employees who are carrying out a remediation scheme at the site (Image: Matthew Horwood/PA Wire) A total of £118m was provided at the spending review by the chancellor to protect Welsh communities comes in addition to £25m from last year's autumn budget amounting to £143m to deliver the essential funding to protect existing homes while enabling new areas of land to be secured for future house building by the Welsh Government. When combined with funding from the Welsh Government £220m has now been invested to make coal tips in Wales safe. In a statement, Mrs Reeves said: "I know the scars that coal tip disasters have left on Welsh communities. This £143m investment will protect families and communities from the risks posed by disused coal tips whilst opening up sites to build new homes for hard-working Welsh families. 'These sites need to be safe and this funding demonstrates how we are delivering our Plan for Change, putting the safety of working people first and supporting economic growth." The chancellor was also asked during her visit about the latest Senedd elections polls showing Welsh Labour falling behind opposition parties. She said: "We've got important elections coming up in Wales next year and it is the first time in a decade and a half that we've actually had a Welsh Government and a UK Government working in partnership. We're beginning to see the results of that. I'm here today because the UK Labour Government is putting £118m into coal tip remediation. "Just a few weeks ago I was in Cardiff because we are putting £445m into better train connections in south and north Wales. And for the first time in a long time the NHS waiting lists are actually starting to fall in Wales because we've got a UK Government investing alongside the Welsh Government to bring those waiting lists down. "People will have to make up their minds next year but there's a real opportunity to keep that good work going or take a risk on another party." She also addressed concern about potential tax rises in Wales. She said: "Judging on my record we had a budget last year where the public finances were in a mess and public services were on their knees. I increased taxes on the wealthiest with changes on non-doms on private jets, on private schools, but the key taxes that working people pay didn't go up. "We stopped the increase in fuel duty that the Conservatives had planned. My priority is that working people, both here in Wales and across the UK are better off. Article continues below "That's why I increased the national living wage and the national minimum wage whilst we're doing things like introducing free school meals for more children at school because we want more money in the pockets of ordinary people."
Wales Online
13-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises to 'change the future' in Wales visit
Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises to 'change the future' in Wales visit Ms Reeves was visiting Wales in the wake of her decision to allocate Wales £445m for rail projects in her multi-year spending review this week Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits Taffs Well Metro/ Train depot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Rachel Reeves has defended her government's spending decisions and funding for Welsh rail projects, saying that her government "can change the future" of Welsh rail. The chancellor spoke to WalesOnline as she visited Taffs Well rail depot following her announcement of £445m of funding for Welsh rail projects in Wednesday's spending review. The money will fund a series of much-needed rail projects in Wales, including five more mainline train stations to give tens of thousands of people an alternative to travelling by car. But experts have described the funding as "underwhelming" and have raised concerns that it is not enough to address the historic underfunding, which Ms Reeves herself has recognised. We asked the chancellor, with Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens alongside her, about why that figure was just £445m, whether Wales was being treated unfairly, why she hadn't committed to any of long-term projects and the all-important Railways Bill which is due before Parliament later this year. WalesOnline has been campaigning to end the historic underfunding of the rail network in Wales, which has seen the nation consistently given far less funding per resident for rail infrastructure for generations when compared to England. Article continues below (Image: Marc White / WalesOnline ) Before our interview, Ms Reeves was taken on a tour of the £100m Transport for Wales depot in Taffs Well, just outside Cardiff. While she may be one of the most powerful people in UK politics, she still had to wear an orange high-vis and hard hat along with safety shoes and goggles as she had a look around. She got a first-hand look at the brand-new electric tram-trains which are undergoing testing before they are eventually rolled out on the Core Valleys lines. Ms Reeves sat in the driver's seat of one of the new trains - with Ms Stevens at her side, as she fiddled with the buttons. Ms Reeves asked what new trains actually do and listens as she is told that as well as creating jobs, it is hoped that the new tram-trains will mean quicker and more frequent journeys for those in the south Wales valleys. She also met with apprentices on their last day before they qualify and joked that it's good that if something happens on the trains they use to commute, they can help to fix them, although she is sure "nothing will go wrong". Rachel Reeves with Jo Stevens , Secretary of State for Wales (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The £445m announced in the spending review is made up of £300m to start work on several projects including five new stations around Cardiff and Newport, and a series of improvement works including at Cardiff West junction measures to improve capacity in north Wales at Padeswood Sidings. Another £48m is going to the Welsh Government to spend on the Core Valleys Lines. And a further £97m will be allocated to develop projects over ten years. When pushed on whether there was more to be done to address the historic underfunding of Welsh rail compared with the rest of the UK, Ms Reeves simply said: "We can't change the past but we can change the future." She added that the funding that Wales has seen so far is a "far cry from what we had when we had a Conservative Government in the UK that wasn't prioritising Wales, wasn't standing up for Wales and wasn't working with the Labour Government here in Wales." Chancellor Rachel Reeves visits the Transport for Wales depot in Taffs Well (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) She defended her government and its spending, saying it was delivering "record" funding for Wales. Ms Stevens also quickly jumped in to describe the effect that the nearly half a billion pounds investment is set to have as "transformational". Here is the interview with Rachel Reeves in full: Rachel Reeves defended her government's spending and said that they "can change the future" of Welsh rail. (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Q: I imagine you're here today after the spending review and the announcement of £445 million going towards Welsh rail. Is there a reason why that figure is just £445 million and can you give any more detail on what that's going to be spent on? RR: Yes, I'm in Wales today after a significant investment into Wales at the Spending Review - a Labour government in the UK working with a Labour Government here in Wales to deliver on the people's priorities. The money, the £445 million, a big investment in railways in Wales, will improve the Core Valleys line, deliver those five Burns stations from the Burns review in full and make improvements with the Cardiff West Junction and Padeswood sidings as well as the level crossing improvements in North Wales to increase the frequency of the trains, to reduce the journey times and to invest in better infrastructure for the people of Wales. Rachel Reeves and Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Q: On that figure, experts have said that perhaps double that would be needed to catch up with the historic injustice that I think you've recognised in terms of Welsh rail. So do you think this number provides the opportunity for Wales to be treated fairly or is there still, as experts are saying, a long way to go to ensure that Welsh rail catches up with the rest of the UK? RR: We can't change the past but we can change the future. Labour has not been in government in the UK for 14 years but in our first budget, and now in our first multi-year spending review, we're putting significant investment into Wales - the record and biggest settlement since devolution for the Welsh government, the investment in rail but also the £118m investment in coal tip safety, which is what the Welsh government asked for - we as a UK Labour government are delivering that. As a result of the devolution settlement we made last year for the Welsh Government, we've also seen NHS waiting lists fall for four months in a row. That's a far cry from what we had when we had a Conservative Government in the UK that wasn't prioritising Wales, wasn't standing up for Wales and wasn't working with the Labour Government here in Wales. The Treasury is providing £300m for five new stations around Cardiff and Newport between 2026 and 2030, and a series of improvement works including measures to improve capacity in north Wales. Another £48m is going on the South Wales Metro. Welsh Transport Secretary Ken Skates has said that almost £100m will be allocated to develop projects over ten years. Q: There's been long-term, multi-billion-pound investments announced for the north of England. Is there a reason why there's maybe less of a commitment for Welsh rail projects? RR: We only came into office last year and in our first budget we provided a record settlement for Wales and we have then followed that up with an even bigger settlement in the multi-year spending review and on top of that direct investment here in Wales both in rail and in coal tip safety. We are working closely with Jo and the team at the Welsh office and are also working closely with the Welsh Government in Cardiff. We're delivering on the priorities of the people in Wales with this substantial investment which is going to improve journey times, with more reliable services and a big boost for people wanting to access good jobs, paying decent wages at the investment zones and in the major cities. WalesOnline's campaign for fair funding For generations, Wales' rail network has been starved of investment. We've been left with a rail network that is outdated and not fit for the nation's needs. There is no good reason why more money should be spent per resident in England on rail infrastructure than in Wales. We have far less electrified track than England and fewer modern services. We've been campaigning since the start of the year to raise awareness of the two massive opportunities Keir Starmer's government has this year to act. We wanted to put pressure on politicians to do something about it. You can help put pressure on him to do use this historic opportunity by signing WalesOnline's petition on the UK government website calling for fair rail funding for Wales. Very simply, we want people in England and Wales to be treated the same when it comes to rail. We've now had the results of the first of those two massive opportunities. Thanks to the pressure from the Welsh Government, Welsh Labour MPs, opposition parties and ourselves, Rachel Reeves has promised Wales nearly half a billion pounds for rail. There are arguments over whether this in itself is enough, what it will be spent on and what time period it is being spent over. But it is undeniably good news that work can start on some much needed projects. These include five new train stations on the south Wales mainline. Later on in the year, Mr Starmer's government is planning a major bit of rail legislation that will be a once-in-a-generation chance to put in place a mechanism to guarantee fairness in perpetuity. Read more about this here. There are arguments about how this should be done but widespread agreement that things must change. One academic told WalesOnline the Wales always comes at the bottom of the pile and will continue to unless there is full devolution. Another told us there was no appetite in either Cardiff Bay or Westminster for devolution and this lack of ambition was repeating the biggest mistake the Welsh Government had ever made. There are fears that unless there is full devolution, Wales will suffer every time the UK government cuts spending but protects major projects in England, as is happening right now. However the Welsh Government believes fair funding can be delivered without full devolution, which is does not want. And the head of a passenger body told us he didn't care who got the money as long as they did a good job with it, adding more cash could make a huge difference. Article continues below JS: It's going to be transformational. You're talking about nearly half a billion pounds being invested with most of it over the space of three to four years. We'll be going as fast as we can to deliver these projects in a way that will transform people's lives. They will see change on their doorstep just like here in Taffs Well people are seeing change from the investment into the core Valleys lines and investment into new trains. We're going to get people around Wales quicker, more often. Going into new jobs, meeting friends and family, our tourism destinations, this is going to make such a difference. Q: In terms of the Railways Bill coming later this year, what would you like see in that to ensure Wales gets the investment it needs, going forward? JS: Well the Chancellor has just announced a significant historic investment this week. Part of that money will be going on to developing further projects after the period of the spending review so that tells you about our commitment to Wales. As I say, we're delivering as quickly as we can, as fast as we can, as widespread as we can and people can look forward to seeing the benefits of a Labour government in Westminster working with the Welsh Labour government to make those infrastructure changes in Wales. We've had very little for the last 14 years, this week we started to make a difference.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Network Rail boss Sir Andrew Haines announces retirement
Network Rail's boss has announced his retirement amid a Government overhaul of the sector. Chief executive Sir Andrew Haines said he will leave the company in October after seven years in the role. The functions of Network Rail – which manages railway infrastructure – will be taken over by Great British Railways (GBR). The Government is consulting on policies to be included in the forthcoming Railways Bill which will enable the establishment of GBR. The organisation will be a new public sector body also overseeing train operation. Sir Andrew said: 'It has been a privilege to lead Network Rail through a time of such change and transformation for Britain's railways, and I am proud of the progress that we have made on performance, safety, reliability and customer service. 'After seven years as chief executive, as Great British Railways starts to progress through legislation and into implementation, I have decided it is the right time for me to retire. 'I am a passionate supporter of the principles behind Great British Railways and the once-in-a-generation opportunity it presents to create an integrated railway that delivers a better service and experience for passengers, stakeholders and colleagues. 'It has been a privilege to lead this transformational journey to date.'
