Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Earlier this year we received the third progress report from the Chairs of the Delivery Board tasked with developing the recommendations of Lord Burns to provide better alternatives to the M4 around Newport.
The Burns Delivery Unit in Transport for Wales are making excellent progress on delivering the recommendations of the Burns Commission.
The leading proposal is for new railway stations in South East Wales which would allow millions of new train journeys each year. The Delivery Unit has carried out detailed work designing and consulting on five new stations on the South Wales Mainline. The excellent work of Transport for Wales secured nearly £3m of development funding from UK Government and carried out the work needed to complete feasibility work and produce a strong business case. Rail infrastructure is not devolved and we are working in close partnership with the UK Government to agree a pipeline of rail infrastructure priorities within the constraints they are working within after the economic mismanagement of the previous administration at Westminster. This absolutely transformational project is a key component within that prioritised pipeline.
The Welsh Government will play its part by continuing to take forward work on the other recommendations. We are funding over £2m of work this financial year including on network improvements in and around Newport, sustainable travel projects in Monmouthshire and a longer term programme to create a sustainable travel corridor between Newport and Cardiff.
The Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) for South East Wales are currently considering the policies and projects which will be prioritised in their Regional Transport Plans. We will work with the CJC to ensure that the work of the Burns Delivery Unit is considered as part of this.
I want to thank Professor Simon Gibson CBE, the Chair of the Burns Delivery Board, for his service over the past three years in driving forward work at pace to design these projects. All governments must now work to prioritise investment to take projects towards implementation.