Today’s Spending Review truly demonstrates the power of two Labour Governments working together.
For Wrexham, the Chancellor specifically mentioned the Padeswood sidings on the Wrexham-Bidston line. They have been earmarked for improvement and advance plans to increase train services between Wrexham and Bidston to 2 trains per hour within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of 4 trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
The UK Government are providing a record £22.4bn per year on average for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 and 2028-29 to invest in public services and drive down waiting lists – this is the largest financial settlement in the history of devolution. This means nearly £5bn extra for the Welsh Government over the next three years.
The historic £445m into Welsh rail corrects years of underfunding by previous governments and will support economic growth. This will mean new stations, enable more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs across Wales. It represents a bigger investment than the Welsh Government would have received so far had the Barnett formula been applied to HS2. The UK Government is delivering as many rail projects in Wales as the sector is capable of delivering in the next three years.
The Spending Review also provides over £118m this Parliament to support the vital work to keep coal tips safe, something which is particularly relevant in Wrexham. This amounts to everything the Welsh Government requested to fund their safety work for the rest of this Parliament.
A new Brand Wales programme will receive £2.4 million over 2026-27 and 2028-29, promoting Welsh investment opportunities and exports around the world – supporting sectors like aerospace and automotive as well as many others.
Andrew Ranger MP added
“In last year’s election campaign, I pledged to improve infrastructure and connectivity for Wrexham if elected. I have been working with colleagues at Westminster and in Cardiff to ensure that the Department for Transport and the Treasury understand the importance of Wrexham-Bidston, and also the North Wales mainline. This is true partnership working, not only between two Labour Governments but also between MPs in North West England and North East Wales.”
*ENDS*
https://wrexham.com/news/300m-for-rail-investment-in-wales-announced-in-spending-review-271858.html
