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.

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.