Asked by: Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they spent on Welsh railways between 2014 and 2019, including control periods 4 and 5.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The UK Government is responsible for rail infrastructure across England and Wales. Rail in Scotland is a devolved matter. From 2014/15 until 2019/20, a total of £2.716 billion was invested on rail infrastructure in Wales. This figure includes costs to maintain and operate the network (£1.889 billion) as well as costs to enhance the network (£0.827 billion).
The continuing subsidy for rail services operated by Transport for Wales (TfW) was made part of the UK Government Block Grant to Wales in c2007. It is not separately identifiable as the amount allocated to rail from the Block Grant was a devolved matter for Welsh Ministers. Separately, the Department made payments for services that TfW operated wholly within England of c£4 million per annum (i.e. c£20 million for 2014-2019).
Asked by: Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any ministerial meetings have taken place on electrification of the North Wales Mainline.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No specific ministerial meetings have taken place on electrification of the North Wales Mainline. Both the Secretary of State and the Rail Minister have met with the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Transport & North Wales in recent months to discuss our shared ambitions for the development of rail services in Wales that can unlock economic growth.