Civils contractors today welcomed the publication of a report by the Welsh Affairs Committee which calls for the foundation of a new Wales Rail Board to make the case for investment by the end of this year.
The report calls for the UK Government to establish a Wales Rail Board, consisting of itself, the Welsh Government, Network Rail, the rail operators providing services in Wales, and Transport for Wales. The Board would be tasked with identifying and developing a prioritised set of proposals for rail infrastructure improvement and investment in Wales.
Commenting, Ed Evans, Director of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Wales, said: “There is a clear case for increasing investment in the Welsh railways which are based on a Victorian system that is struggling to cope with 21st century requirements.
“The establishment of a new body would provide an impetus to identifying where investment can best be allocated to improve passenger experience and cut carbon emissions.
“We hope the UK Government adopts the Committee’s recommendations without delay, to ensure that infrastructure investment can level up all parts of the UK by driving growth, creating jobs, and delivering the projects that businesses and communities rely upon.”
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