Call for UK Government to commit to devolving rail infrastructure powers to Wales

Emily Price 

The Liberal Democrat MP that exposed the recent Oxford-Cambridge rail link scandal has called on the UK Government to commit to devolving rail infrastructure powers to Wales in this parliament.

The multi-billion pound East West Rail project has been classed as an "England and Wales" scheme despite it being entirely in England.

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP, David Chadwick, revealed the England and Wales classification of the £6.6bn university rail link following a written question to the UK Government's transport secretary.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats says this designation will see Wales miss out on £360m in barnett consequential funding.

[mid-content-banner]

Pipeline

The UK Government says the pipeline that funded East West Rail also paid for rail projects in Wales like the redevelopment of Cardiff Central Station and upgrades to south Wales relief lines.

The operation of the railway in Wales is a Welsh Government responsibility.

But infrastructure planning and the funding of Network Rail in Wales remains reserved to the UK Parliament.

The situation is different in Scotland, where infrastructure planning is also devolved.

[lower-mid-content-banner]

'Side-line'

In the House of Commons on Thursday (June 5) Chadwick called on Labour ministers to urgently devolve full powers over rail infrastructure to Wales so future English projects can no longer be used "to side-line Welsh investment".

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden told the Lib Dem MP "to have a little patience" until the UK Government's spending review in a few days time.

He said: "We already got a taste of it yesterday with the Chancellor announcing funding for major transport projects around the country.

"We are investing in public services not just in England right across the United Kingdom, and in a few days time, we will hear a lot more about that."

The Treasury is also facing pressure over its controversial handling of HS2 funding.

Under the previous Conservative government the £100 billion high-speed rail line was classified as an "England and Wales" scheme despite none of the track crossing the Welsh border.

Some politicians believe £4 billion is owed to Wales in rail consequentials through the barnett formula - the method used to calculate additional funding for devolved administrations.

The Welsh Government’s most recent calculation of how much money is owed to Wales for HS2 stands at £431m so far.

'Short-change'

David Chadwick said: "It is simply indefensible that Wales continues to be frozen out of hundreds of millions in rail funding for projects that do not lay a single centimetre of track in our country.

"We saw this with HS2, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, and now again with East-West Rail. Time after time, Wales is left behind.

"It is clear that someone in this labour government is out to deliberately short-change Wales. The only way forward is to devolve full powers over rail infrastructure to Wales so we can make decisions that serve our own communities.

"Wales must be able to invest properly in its own rail network. That includes delivering serious improvements to the Heart of Wales Line, which has been neglected for decades.

"Investment in lines such as the Heart of Wales Line would make a meaningful difference to Wales, unlike a rail project hundreds of miles away between Oxford and Cambridge.

"This line is a lifeline for rural communities, supporting jobs, education and tourism, and it deserves the same level of ambition and investment as rail services elsewhere in the UK."

New money for rail investment in Wales is expected to be revealed at Chancellor Rachel Reeves's spending review next week.

The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates, says the system used for paying for rail improvements has "historically disadvantaged" Wales.

But, he added that "exciting plans" are being hatched between Labour governments at either end of the M4 for rail reform that will strengthen the Wales and Borders network.