Wales needs real money for rail freight

Moving goods by rail in Wales has dramatically declined. Now, the Secretary of State in the UK government is calling for rail to be made a top spending priority. It’s been argued that core traffic, particularly coal, has not been replaced. Heavy industry in South Wales, agricultural produce traffic in the mid-Wales counties, and port traffic along the north coast have all been marginalised or transferred to road haulage.

Jo Stevens, the politician with responsibilities as Secretary of State for Wales in the UK government, considers rail to be her “number one priority” for the forthcoming UK Spending Review. Although the devolved government in Cardiff has executive powers over transport matters, Ms Stevens is urging the UK government to contribute to rail projects in Wales.

Admission of under investment

Speaking in Westminster, at the recent meeting of the Welsh Affairs Committee, made up of fellow members of parliament, Jo Stevens said that the UK and Welsh Governments recognised that Wales had not received its fair share of funding in the past. The UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, had admitted as much to her Welsh counterpart, Ken Skates, in a letter earlier this month. “We recognise that railways in Wa…