Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted
Paragraph: 77
If clear benefits for both passengers and freight users could be delivered by devolving rail...
Conclusion
If clear benefits for both passengers and freight users could be delivered by devolving rail infrastructure to the Welsh Government then the case for further devolution would be compelling. However, few benefits to rail users have been identified and the benefits of the existing management arrangements are considerable. The liabilities associated with rail infrastructure are significant. The economies of scale available via the existing management structure are of benefit to Wales and help to limit the resource that might otherwise have to be committed to maintenance of the network rather than its enhancement.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees in part with the Committee's conclusion regarding the benefits of existing management structures. It commits to establishing a new senior-level Board with Welsh Government, DfT, TfW, and Network Rail representation to develop a shared vision for rail infrastructure, and a Programme Delivery Group to steer enhancement schemes.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
77
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The UK Government agrees with this recommendation. We have supported the Welsh Government in its ambition to have greater control over Welsh rail infrastructure, and this is evident in the collaborative approach we took to work with our partners to divest the Core Valley Lines to the Welsh Government. DfT’s response to the Silk Commission’s recommendations concluded that full devolution of Welsh rail infrastructure would be of no immediate benefit to passengers and freight. Outside of the Core Valley Lines, most rail services in Wales operate on a cross-border basis and there is a desire to increase these further. As such, enhancements to facilitate greater capacity and capability need to be planned on a holistic route- and network-level basis.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗