Plaid AM Slams Labour over Metro Statement Delay

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West, Dr Dai Lloyd has slammed the Labour Welsh Government after waiting almost 5 months for an update on the Swansea Bay and Western Valleys Metro.

Dr Lloyd raised the issue of a Swansea Bay Metro with Finance Minister Rebecca Evans AM in the Assembly in February, and has still not received an update from Ken Skates AM.

Speaking in the Senedd on 12th February, Dr Lloyd asked Rebecca Evans AM:

“I would be grateful if the Minister for Transport would bring forward a statement on what discussions he is having with the UK Government, and how he sees the West Wales parkway interlinking with the wider challenge of developing further rail and transport infrastructure within the region as part of the Swansea Bay Metro.”

To which Rebecca Evans AM replied that Ken Skates AM would provide “an update on the feasibility study with regard to the west Wales Metro proposals.”

Speaking about the lack of update from the Labour Welsh Government, Dr Lloyd stated:

“The Labour Welsh Government has been very quiet over the past five months. The minister has promised an update and so far the Assembly received no update from the minister regarding the feasibility of establishing a metro system in the region. If Labour are incapable of even responding to a question about the metro, how on earth are they going to deliver it?”

Plaid Cymru secured money for the feasibility study into the prospect of a Swansea Bay and Western Valleys Metro as part of their budget deal with Labour in 2017

Dr. Lloyd called for a number of disused lines across the south west to be brought back into use for the public, adding:

“We need to see an improvement in the North to South links and not just East to West. Lines such as the Amman-Tawe should be reopened to passengers, as could the Neath Valley line, which used to run from Neath to Aberdare. And of course improving transport links to and from the Dulais and Afan Valleys.”

“South West Wales is crying out for investment in public transport and we cannot afford to be let down and left behind any longer.”

“The UK Government has backed the idea of a Parkway station in Swansea, along the M4 corridor, it is imperative that the Welsh Government sets out its thinking on this as a matter of urgency.”