Posted: Thu 22nd Oct 2020

Reports: Welsh government set to “nationalise” railways after bailout talks with the current operator fail

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales
This article is old - Published: Thursday, Oct 22nd, 2020

According to telegraph.co.uk  the Welsh government is set to “nationalise” railways in the country after bailout talks with the current operator, KeolisAmey, failed. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Ministers are expected to formally announce the transfer of operations to state-owned Transport for Wales on Thursday morning, insiders said. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Transport for Wales will take direct control of travel on the country’s 900 miles of railway, replacing a joint venture that includes French-owned firm Keolis, after passenger numbers plunged as a result of coronavirus. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The telegraph report states: “Trains in Wales have been run since May 2018 by a joint venture between Keolis, a subsidiary of France’s SNCF, and engineering contractor Amey. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

While the pair will continue to be responsible for tracks and other rail infrastructure, control of services will be handed back to the state.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Wales’s “Operator of Last Resort” was hastily renamed “Transport for Wales Ltd” last week in anticipation of Welsh government officials stepping in. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Professor Stuart Cole Professor of Transport at the University of South Wales told BBC Radio Wales: “It’s not quite nationalisation as the Telegraph excitedly puts it.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“It’s the transfer of the operations of trains and stations to a new company owned by Transport for Wales, that’s the option, it looks like the Welsh government will be going for.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“It would fit into the Welsh government overall future ideas for the railway.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The Welsh government tweeted on Wednesday evening: ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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