Darren Millar, Member of the Senedd for Clwyd West, has again called on the Welsh Government for action to address the disparity in rail ticket prices between North and South Wales.
 
Questioning the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport in the Senedd, Darren said:
 
“A few weeks ago, I raised with you the issue of rail fare disparity between North and South Wales, where the cost of a return or a single journey between Swansea and Cardiff is less than half the price of similar length journeys on the North Wales line.”
 
“It's not fair for passengers. It's not fair for anybody who needs to use the rail network. I want to know what action the Welsh Government is going to take in order to address that inconsistency.”
 
In response, the Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates, said:
 
“In terms of rail fares, some are regulated, and some are not regulated. I am keen to work with the UK Government on a very transparent and fair fare system across the UK network.”
 
“At the moment, we have a number of operators in Wales, and the fare regime can be very different, depending on the time of day, depending on the type of ticket, depending on the route, depending on where you start your journey, whether it's in Wales or out of Wales.”
 
“I'd like there to be greater transparency and a far fairer system of fares in the future. I will be working with UK Government counterparts to do that, as well as with Transport for Wales.”
 
Commenting afterwards, Darren said:
 
“People in North Wales often feel like they get a worse deal than people in the South. This disparity should be easy to address, given that the Welsh Government is responsible for Transport for Wales and the Wales and Borders Franchise.”
 
“I want to see firm commitments and action from the Welsh Government to reduce inequalities like these, and to help people in North Wales feel like their Government is serving them not just the South.”