In its report on future rail provision for Wales, the committee looked at all aspects of rail provision including rolling stock, stations, rail freight and infrastructure. Evidence was collected from several organisations and the study group considered the implications for Wales of the UK Government’s White Paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway and the Wales Rail Planning Assessment, both published in July 2007.

Passenger numbers could rise by up to 35% by 2016 on some services, the report says. It also found that there would need to be extra investment in new train carriages.

The committee said that estimated growth in passenger demand in Wales, and particularly in the Cardiff area to 2014 and beyond, is likely to exceed the levels used by the Department for Transport and therefore the Welsh Assembly Government will need to supplement the DfT’s investment to meet demand.

The report also says that the Welsh Assembly Government should give more priority to encouraging a shift from road to rail freight, but that this should be carefully planned to ensure it does not impact on passenger travel.

Other recommendations include improving services running through Cardiff Queen Street; producing a rolling stock plan outlining how new and refurbished rolling stock can increase capacity; improving car parking provision for rail passengers; and improving the quality of stations in Wales.

Chair of the Committee Gareth Jones said: “Although this inquiry was a relatively short one, we examined many issues during our evidence sessions. It became clear to us that the Department for Transport has underestimated the growth in the number of rail passengers in its High Level Output Specification and that therefore extra investment from the Welsh Assembly Government will be essential if Wales is to get the rail service it needs to help economic growth and combat climate change.”

Professor Stuart Cole, of the Wales Transport Research Centre at the University of Glamorgan, said: "We have also seen people switch from the A470 and driving into Cardiff to the train into Cardiff. There's a doubling in passenger numbers every seven years on the Valley Lines."

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Assembly will have to give more funds to keep train travel on the rails

Western Mail: Nov 22 2007
Tomos Livingstone,

Extra cash will have to be found by the Welsh Assembly Government to cope with a rise in the number of people travelling by train, a committee of AMs has concluded.

A new report from the Enterprise and Learning Committee says the Department for Transport is underestimating the projected growth in rail travel.

That will leave a black hole in funding which WAG will have to plug, the report says.

During their inquiry into rail services the committee found that passenger numbers were likely to rise rapidly in the years to 2014, particularly in and around Cardiff.

The inquiry was set up to consider the impact on Wales of the UK Government’s Rail White Paper and the Wales Rail Planning Assessment, both published in July 2007.

The report also says that the Welsh Assembly Government should give more priority to encouraging a shift from road to rail freight, but that this should be carefully planned to ensure it does not impact on passenger travel.

Other recommendations include improving services running through Cardiff Queen Street, improving car parking provision for rail passengers and improving the quality of stations in Wales.

The chair of the committee, the Plaid AM for Aberconwy, Gareth Jones, said, “Although this inquiry was a relatively short one, we examined many issues.

“It became clear to us that the Department of Transport has underestimated the growth in the number of rail passengers in its High Level Output Specification and that therefore extra investment from the Welsh Assembly Government will be essential.”