Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Network Rail Funding

Wednesday 5 July 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister has regular discussions with Department for Transport on transport matters.
  • Wales receives proportionally greater funding than the rest of Great Britain.
  • Rob Roberts raised concerns about funding based on train miles rather than track length.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rob Roberts
Transport Wales
Context

The question arises from discussions about the adequacy of Network Rail funding in Wales compared to other regions.

Question

I am concerned whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the adequacy of Network Rail funding in Wales. The Department for Transport told me that the maintenance funding spent on the Wales route gets 4% or 5% of spending, which equates to 4% of the network; however, this figure is based on train miles rather than track length, and the track length is actually 11%. Will the Minister make representations to the DFT to increase rail spending proportionately?

Answer from James Davies

I have regular discussions with Department for Transport colleagues on a wide range of transport matters. Wales receives proportionally greater funding than the rest of Great Britain. In fact, figures from the 2021-22 financial year demonstrate that Government funding of the operational railway was 32.1p per kilometre travelled in England, 57.3p in Scotland and 59.3p in Wales.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific request to make representations to increase rail spending proportionately based on track length rather than train miles.

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Q2 Rob Roberts
Transport Wales
Context

The question is a follow-up to an initial inquiry about the adequacy of Network Rail funding in Wales and addresses the need for proportional spending based on track length.

Question

When I asked the Department for Transport about the maintenance funding spent on the Wales route, it told me that it gets 4% or 5% of the spending and it equates to 4% of the network, so it must be fair. The problem is that the figures were based on train miles rather than track length, and the train miles are always lower in Wales because of a lack of investment in infrastructure. The track length is actually 11%, not 4%. Will the Minister make representations to the DFT to increase rail spending proportionately to make it a fairer settlement?

Answer from James Davies

The hon. Member is right to reference investment in rail in north Wales. Growth Track 360 has pressed for that hard—I have been involved with that, as he has—and the North Wales Transport Commission has recently outlined similar projects. He will be aware of the Union connectivity review development funding pot that has been available, and the entry in RNEP for the north Wales coast main line in relation to line speeds.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific request to make representations to increase rail spending proportionately based on track length rather than train miles.

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