RUNNING OUR OWN RAILWAYS

A cross-party group of MPs has called for HS2 to be reclassified as an England-only project so Wales receives proportional funds - better late than never. They noted that the Westminster government's own analysis concluded the rail project would produce "an economic dis-benefit to Wales". The Welsh government and many people in Wales have long called the classification of HS2 as an England and Wales project "unfair and biased". 

HS2 is a high-speed rail line planned to link London with Birmingham and on to Manchester and Leeds. The £106 billion project has been controversial after estimates that the Welsh economy could lose out due to inferior transport infrastructure. 

Without a fair funding settlement, the Welsh government periodically receives a proportional top-up to the budget when new spending is announced for devolved areas in England which will not apply to Wales, through what is known as "Barnett consequentials".  So now the MPs want HS2 to be reclassified as an England-only project despite rail infrastructure not being devolved in Wales beyond the core valleys lines.

The parliamentary select committee report noted that the Welsh government received "approximately £755 million in Barnett consequentials" between 2015 and 2019 as a result of the Department for Transport spending money on HS2, it will not receive a proportionate amount for HS2 because it has been classified by the Treasury as an "England and Wales project". 

Understandably this has attracted criticism from the MPs because the rail line will run solely in England. The Welsh Affairs Committee said: "It is a project of unprecedented size and complexity and has already created several thousand jobs as part of a supply chain that spans the country, including Wales." The Committee reported that Wales would not benefit in the same way as Scotland and Northern Ireland from Barnett consequentials arising from the HS2 project. 

The Westminster government's own analysis has concluded that HS2 will produce an economic dis-benefit for Wales". The Westminster government has said HS2 could "yield direct benefits to Welsh rail passengers if it is accompanied by enhancements to the North Wales mainline, including upgrades at Chester and Crewe stations which will be required for full electrification of the North Wales mainline to proceed". 

The report also calls for a new Wales Rail Board of Welsh and UK government bodies to identify areas where Welsh railways could be improved and invested in. The MPs also have called on the Westminster government to bring forward proposals for greater connectivity between Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol by the end of 2021, calling the decision to cancel the electrification of the Cardiff-Swansea mainline "short-sighted and regrettable".

The group, chaired by Conservative MP Stephen Crabb, said if clear benefits for passengers and freight users could be delivered by transferring powers over rail infrastructure from the UK government to the Welsh government then "the case for further devolution would be compelling".

The Committee said "few benefits to rail users have been identified" and the benefits of "existing management arrangements are considerable". The Welsh government welcomed the calls to "address unfair and biased categorisation of HS2 as an England and Wales project, which continues to disadvantage rail investment in Wales".

A spokesman said their "long term objective remains full devolution of the rail network and a fair funding settlement for rail infrastructure in Wales". They said "irrespective of where responsibility rests in the short term" they supported "close strategic collaboration" to "meet passenger needs" and "support our decarbonisation commitments".

A spokesperson for the UK government's Department for Transport said: "We have already committed a record £1.5 billion to the Welsh railways in recent years and the recently announced Union Connectivity Review will look at how best to enhance transport links across the United Kingdom to improve connectivity." The Westminster government has argued HS2 will boost reliability, connectivity and capacity on routes across the UK, including services into Wales.

We certainly don't need "a new Wales Rail Board of Welsh and UK government bodies to identify areas where Welsh railways could be improved and invested in" - that would simply be another layer of arms length bureaucracy.  Whats needed is for full control over the network (such as it is), the Network rail budget and resources (within Wales and the Marches) and Network rail priorities to be devolved to the Senedd as soon as possible. 

Quite simply decisions about railway infrastructure development and spending need to be made here in Cymru / Wales, not in Westminster - as happens in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A final thought - it is worth remembering that in 2005 powers over railways were offered to be devolved to Wales by the then Labour in Westminster government - the Labour in Wales National Assembly government, Labour in Wales simply said no thanks. What a pity…

THE GREAT WELSH TRAIN ROBBERY

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has today vowed that a Plaid government would end Westminster’s “Great Welsh Train Robbery” by investing in creating Wales’s first truly national rail network.

Adam Price hit out at the UK Government’s chronic underinvestment in the Welsh rail network, citing the injustice of Welsh taxpayers footing the bill for England-only projects such as HS2.

The Plaid leader outlined how a national rail network would link major populations such as Bangor and Carmarthen along the west coast, as well as ensure main lines in the north and south, and across central Wales.

Using existing, new and reinstated lines a Plaid Cymru government will also deliver a Valleys CrossRail, connecting Treherbert in the Rhondda to Pontypool, via Pontypridd, Nelso, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, Blackwood, Newbridge, and Crumlin.

Adam Price said:

“There is no comprehensive rail network connecting the different parts of Wales with north-south journeys having to be made through England.

“Whilst control of the main rail franchise has been in the hands of the Welsh government, the tracks and infrastructure remain a matter for Westminster which sees Network Rail making decisions on an England-and-Wales basis.

“As a result, Welsh taxpayers are footing the bill for costly projects such as HS2 which are not only set to be built entirely in England but also harmful to the Welsh economy as research shows.

“For as long as Westminster has some control over rail policy, the Great Welsh Train Robbery will roll on.

“This is why a Plaid Cymru government would seek full devolution, with adequate funding, for all rail services in Wales.

“Once this is achieved, we will task Transport for Wales with creating an all-Wales national rail network, connecting the north with the south and enabling rail traffic between the major centers of population.

“This would entail main lines in the north and south, a central Wales line linking Swansea, Llanelli and Shrewsbury, the Cambrian line linking Aberystwyth with Shrewsbury, and a new West Coast line, linking Carmarthen with Bangor and on to Amlwch.

“The Valleys CrossRail will provide a huge boost to business development, urban regeneration and housing as well as transport – directly benefiting a population of more than 250,000 people.

“We would also proceed with plans for metros for the south-east, north-east, Swansea Bay and the Western Valleys.

“This network will support transit-oriented development along its route so that economic development can flourish in the most sustainable and climate responsible way.

“All of this forms part of our vision for an independent Wales, free from Westminster’s constraints and able to truly connect our communities for the benefit of all our people.”

- ENDS - 

5 REASONS TO VOTE FOR WALES

After the pandemic, Plaid Cymru will have to put economic recovery front and centre of everything we do. 

1. Deliver a Green Industrial revolution Climate change presents the next global emergency – we are already seeing its effects in extreme weather events, flooding, and increasing record breaking temperatures. Wales has declared a climate emergency and we know we’re reaching several climate tipping points. We believe we need to act now, and we need to act radically. Plaid Cymru wants a Green Industrial Revolution for Wales. We will become a testbed for global innovation on climate change, and this will help us achieve a net zero carbon target by 2035.

2. Deliver infrastructure projects Issues in rail connectivity and efficiency as well as digital connectivity have been apparent for years, and the pandemic has only shed more light on the pressing need to improve them. With many of us working from home a reliable internet connection has been crucial, and the benefits of having fewer cars on our roads and less pollution in our air was felt across many parts of Wales. We would fire up the Welsh economy after Covid by achieving nationwide Gigabit connection and expanding and modernising the rail network – we will secure reliable and high speed internet connections and make rail transport a legitimate and practical option for thousands more of us.

3. Welsh ownership of renewable sector Building up the renewable sector is another urgent move needed in tackling the climate emergency, but we want to make it work for Wales and work for our communities too. We will grow Welsh ownership of the renewable sector, ensuring more profit returns to Welsh communities. We want to become world leaders in green energy, benefitting both the environment and our economy.

4. Create jobs in public services Our public services, particularly our health service, have been at the forefront of the pandemic. Its staff have been overstretched, overworked, and have gone above and beyond to keep us safe. Even before the pandemic, health services were pushed to the limit after years of austerity, and waiting times were unacceptably long. We will create thousands of jobs in our vital public services, including for doctors and nurses to support the vital Covid recovery.

5. Use local first procurement approach We will apply a local first approach to procurement which will ensure businesses in Wales have more opportunities, and boost the foundational economy. Aside for using quality local produce, skills and services this will both secure and provide opportunities to create secure local jobs here in Wales.