Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is planning to improve rail links between South Wales and a) Gatwick and b) Heathrow.

This Government is continuing to invest in the UK rail network at record levels, including at least £445 million of investment in the rail network in Wales announced at the Spending Review and backed up by the Prime Minister's recent endorsement of the Transport for Wales vision for the future of Welsh rail. This will support the creation of thousands of jobs, the building of new homes and improving opportunities for communities all across Wales.

Since December an additional late evening service has been added on the line between Reading and Gatwick Airport allowing more opportunities for passengers from South Wales to get to the airport. In the future, passengers from South Wales may be able to change trains at the new Old Oak Common station for fast and frequent connections to Heathrow Airport once main line trains begin stopping there.