Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government which rail enhancement projects in Wales are expected to commence construction before the end of the 2029–30 financial year; and what milestones have been agreed with the Wales Rail Board for monitoring their delivery.

The Government recognises the historic underfunding of Welsh rail infrastructure and has endorsed a long-term plan to transform Welsh rail, with £445 million funding already committed this Spending Review. This will support delivery of enhancements to the North Wales Mainline, Wrexham-Liverpool Line, and the South Wales Relief Lines. It will also deliver a major upgrade of Cardiff Central Station, increase services in the Cardiff area, and commence delivery of the six new stations in south Wales recommended by Lord Burns’ South East Wales Transport Commission.

Subject to confirmed value-for-money and development of business cases, all are expected to have commenced construction before the end of the 2029–30 financial year. Their delivery will be subject to continuous monitoring by the Wales Rail Board.

We have endorsed the Transport for Wales (TfW) vision for rail in Wales and His Majesty's Government has agreed that it should form the basis of the Wales Rail Board’s pipeline of projects. TfW currently estimate the total cost of all the schemes under consideration to be up to £14 billion.