Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to extend East-West Rail to (a) Cardiff, (b) Bristol and (c) Norwich.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
East West Rail (EWR) is a new railway that will connect Oxford-Cambridge and cities and towns in between. The proposed service pattern on the line was set out in the EWR consultation in November 2024. There are key interchanges with major rail lines along the route and connections with long distance services will be subject to future decision.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the development of a metro-style train service between (a) Cardiff, (b) Newport, (c) Bristol and (d) Bath.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no plans to change the existing train service between Cardiff and Bath which is operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). My officials are however in active discussions with Transport for Wales about the potential introduction of a new train service between West Wales and Bristol, which could also serve new stations along the South Wales corridor. The Department for Transport would need to be satisfied that any new service would be operationally robust and affordable for taxpayers.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the total allocated budget for each of the five new railway stations to be built in south east Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s recent Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy has recognised Wales’ long-term infrastructure needs and will deliver at least £445 million of rail enhancements to realise them. The exact proportion of funding required to support individual enhancement schemes will be confirmed through further development activity currently underway by industry partners.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has plans for the electrification of the north Wales mainline.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Together with industry partners, we have identified a number of improvements on the North Wales Main Line which will deliver more immediate passenger benefits, including increasing the frequency of services in 2026, which will serve to strengthen the business case for future electrification. Following the Spending Review, we are funding these improvement works as part of the wider £445 million investment to enhance rail infrastructure across Wales — unlocking economic potential, improving connectivity, and supporting communities.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Spring Statement and the Spending Review 2025, what is the expected completion date of each of the five new railways stations to be built in south east Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Based on the work of the South East Wales Transport Commission and subsequent development activity, new stations are proposed at Newport Road (Cardiff), Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor & Undy.
The funding announced in the Spending Review will support the further development of options for these stations, allowing the programme and expected completion date of each station to be confirmed in due course by the two governments, supported by our industry partners.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the total allocated budget for all five of the new railway stations to be built in south east Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s recent Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy has recognised Wales’ long-term infrastructure needs and will deliver at least £445 million of rail enhancements to realise them. The exact proportion of funding required to support individual enhancement schemes will be confirmed through further development activity currently underway by industry partners.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she will announce the locations of the five new railway stations to be built in south east Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Based on the work of the South East Wales Transport Commission and subsequent development activity, new stations are proposed at Newport Road (Cardiff), Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern, and Magor & Undy.
The funding announced in the Spending Review will support the further development of options and confirm the exact locations for the stations. The programme for this will be confirmed in due course by the two governments, supported by our industry partners.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help (a) tackle infrastructure congestion and (b) improve (i) timetable capacity and (ii) passenger numbers to support open access plans for the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The delivery of HS2 will almost double long-distance rail capacity between London and the West Midlands, significantly improving the heavily congested southern section of the West Coast Main Line and releasing capacity for other services on the route. We are also investing to increase power supply on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line to enable the introduction of new electric services and support future growth and performance improvements on the route.
Further, my Department remains committed to a role for Open Access where it provides genuine benefits to passengers without disproportionately impacting taxpayers, which is why we provided support for Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway’s application. However, we must equally ensure that Open Access does not have detrimental impacts upon the performance of the network. It is the role of the regulator to take access decisions informed by assessments of capacity.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reconnecting Brecon to the rail network.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Wales Rail Board is responsible for assessing and recommending rail investments to support new and improved services in Wales. No credible scheme to restore a direct rail connection to Brecon has been identified to date.
The UK and Welsh Governments are collaborating on their respective bus reform agendas. In Wales, this supports Transport for Wales’ vision for a fully integrated transport network providing improved connectivity to places not served by the existing rail network. For Brecon specifically, a new bus timetable and fare structure has recently been launched, offering greater flexibility and value for passengers.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of constructing a direct rail link to Cardiff Airport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Wales Rail Board is responsible for assessing and recommending rail investments to support new and improved services in Wales. The approach of the Board is to promote improvements to services on the Vale of Glamorgan line, including to Rhoose, where there is an effective integrated bus link to Cardiff Airport.