Oral - Welsh Assembly Government Transport Priorities

The Government is taking forward an ambitious programme to build a strong and confident nation, a programme that will create prosperity and jobs in the vibrant communities of our nation. Transport is essential to achieving that vision and in helping us to progress 'One Wales’.

One of our main priorities over the next four years will be to improve transport links within Wales. I am eager to develop the network in such a way as to strike the right balance between our economic, social and environmental objectives. At the same time, it is essential that we adopt an approach that recognises the distinctive needs of different parts of Wales, whether they are remote rural communities or urban centres.
Over the life of this Assembly, we will be spending some £350 million to improve the trunk road network. I am currently reviewing the timetable for planned schemes and, as a result of firmer programming, I am confident that our investment in north-south links will significantly exceed the commitment of £50 million outlined in 'One Wales’. I will be announcing the details in due course, but they will include enhancements to improve journey times, safety and accessibility.

We are also assessing the scope for further improvements to north-south travel by rail. Timetable improvements will be introduced in December 2008, and we are working with our partners to investigate further possible enhancements. In addition, I have asked my officials to investigate the feasibility of a new fast service, including business-class facilities, which would operate southbound in the morning and northbound in the evening. These enhancements will complement the north-south air service, which has been very successfully patronised since its inception in May.

We recognise the importance of the east-west trans-European corridors across north and south Wales. We will therefore be seeking to take forward strategic capacity enhancements, addressing pinch-points and improving resilience in both corridors. We will also be improving surface access to our major ports and airports. We are also keen to exploit the full potential of our rail network, with enhancements to the Cambrian and Valleys lines and, by the end of the year, the restoration of passenger services on the Ebbw valley line.

We are working to put in place an enhanced TrawsCambria long-distance coach service, by developing new routes and raising service standards. This will provide a cohesive, high quality and sustainable network that will act as an exemplar and help to change perceptions of what public transport should be. Reliable, frequent, fast, comfortable and safe services will be provided by a high-quality, low-carbon vehicle fleet. Interchanges will be upgraded and the network will be fully integrated with the railways, including through-ticketing, so that passengers can enjoy seamless journeys throughout Wales. I am pleased to say that details will be announced early next year.

We are working closely with the regional transport consortia and local authorities to develop integrated local transport. We are taking steps to ensure that we have the right framework to facilitate improved bus and community transport services and to develop high quality interchanges. A new Safe Routes in Communities programme will be operational from April, helping to improve road safety and develop walking and cycling links to hospitals, leisure and retail sites as well as to schools and colleges. We are also putting in place the right framework to allow us to deliver our vision for transport. I will be publishing the final Wales transport strategy in the coming months, to be followed next year by a national transport plan, setting out detailed policies and programmes. In addition, the regional transport consortia are developing regional transport plans to implement the strategy at the local and regional level.

The new convergence programme will facilitate the delivery of the strategy, with more than €200 million earmarked for sustainable transport projects. I am pleased to say that that is twice the level of resources that were available under Objective 1.
I am conscious of the need to minimise the demands that the transport network places on the environment, so that transport can play its full part in the achievement of our overall carbon-reduction target. To that end, I am announcing today that we will be developing a Sustainable Travel Towns initiative. That will enable a number of towns to become exemplars of sustainable travel, with greatly enhanced opportunities for walking and cycling, improved public transport and better travel planning. I will be working with each regional transport consortium to select and then transform a suitable town in each region into a model of sustainable transport. This will be a first step towards transforming transport across Wales.

To conclude, the Government is fully committed to creating a transport network that will make our economy more competitive, and will bring the people of our nation closer together. We want to create a transport network that is fit for this century, coupled with a strategy that addresses the environmental and global challenges of the next. The next four years will be about connecting the communities of our country and putting into practice the political aspirations that form the backbone of 'One Wales’.