In a recent letter obtained by BBC News, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander admitted that spending to improve Wales’ railways has been at a “low level” in recent years. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan hailed the statement as a first-time admission from UK ministers that Welsh railways are currently underfunded. Despite no new funding announcements, talks have begun on possible significant investments into new rail stations, which have primarily been absent from Welsh railways.
The lack of funds to Welsh railways has been a long-standing issue, mainly due to the lack of extra funding coming from the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project. Because HS2 is categorized as an England and Wales project, it does not provide additional funding even though planned track never reaches Wales. Opponents have given varying figures of what they believe Wales is owed, with Plaid Cymru and the Welsh government estimating it would be £4 billion, while more recent figures from Welsh ministers put it at £350 million.
While the most recent letter praises proposals made by three transport reviews concerned with the North and South Wales main lines and improvements to the Wrexham to Liverpool lines, the Welsh government and Plaid Cymru remain doubtful. The letter does not commit to righting the wrongs of HS2, leading Plaid Cymru to say that the statement does not go far enough. Welsh Conservatives accused the Welsh First Minister of accepting “scraps” and not addressing the issue of fair funding adequately.
Despite the lack of concrete commitments, Morgan believes that conversations have already started on a long list of potential projects that could receive investment. Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has admitted that Wales’ rail settlement has not been satisfactory for the past 14 years, but she has been working with the Welsh government’s transport minister to address the issue. The future of Welsh rail, Stevens notes, cannot be derived from HS2 alone, a sentiment echoed by Morgan and many Welsh politicians. These comments suggest that there is still much work to be done before Wales receives the funding it needs to improve its railways
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