Nationalisation of the railways in Great Britain was the primary transport element in the Labour manifesto for last year’s general election. Legislation has been passed in Westminster for that to happen and as part of the process a public consultation exercise is underway.

Rail services in Wales are currently operated by five companies and effectively nationalised already. Transport for Wales Rail owned by Welsh Government; Great Western Railway, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry Trains operating under contract (previously franchised) to England’s Department for Transport. Rail infrastructure in Wales (except Valley Lines north of Cardiff) is owned and operated by UK government owned Network Rail.

Improving any business requires appropriate levels of investment, cost control, revenue increases and a product which is attractive to the market – in the railways case, passengers. Getting these right is the challenge.

Ken Skates, our Cabinet Secretary for Transport, has set out his stall. In September 2024 he told the Senedd (and the UK Government) that Wales needs “an empowered Wales and Borders business unit within Great British Railways (GBR)” – a GBR Cymru that delivers Welsh priorities and is properly accountable to Welsh Ministers and to........

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