Labour Confirm Opposition to Rail Devolution
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised Labour after the UK Government rejected rail devolution for Wales during Committee scrutiny of the Railways Bill, while a Welsh Labour MP argued against the Liberal Democrats’ devolution amendment being included in the Bill, just days after First Minister Eluned Morgan promised a “new era of devolution”.
The amendment was tabled by Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP and would remove rail transport from the list of powers reserved to Westminster. It would require the UK Government to transfer responsibility for rail infrastructure, investment and long-term strategy in Wales to Welsh Ministers within two years, placing Wales on the same constitutional footing as Scotland.
During the Committee debate, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport Keir Mather made clear that the Government does not support devolving rail powers to Wales through this legislation. He argued that the Bill is intended to provide a single, integrated framework for the rail network across England and Wales and that introducing new statutory boundaries would risk fragmentation.
The Minister defended retaining rail as a reserved matter on the basis that cross-border services and infrastructure interfaces are better managed through partnership working and a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Welsh Governments, rather than through a statutory transfer of powers.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats said this position is difficult to justify, given that Scotland already exercises statutory rail powers within the same UK rail network and manages cross-border services under that system perfectly without issues.
At the same Committee session, Andrew Ranger MP, Welsh Labour MP for Wrexham, argued that the rail devolution amendment should not be included in the Railways Bill, urging the Committee to “work with the situation as it stands now” and pointing instead to partnership working and the proposed memorandum of understanding.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats say the debate exposes a clear contradiction in Welsh Labour’s position. Earlier this week, First Minister Eluned Morgan promised a “new era of devolution”, including the devolution of rail, should Labour win the 2026 Senedd election. However, when given the opportunity to support rail devolution in Parliament, Labour Ministers rejected it and Welsh Labour MPs did not back the proposal, nor submit their own.
Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said:
“Labour Ministers have now put it on the record that they do not support devolving rail to Wales. That tells you everything you need to know about how seriously Labour takes devolution when it actually matters.
“The First Minister speaks about a ‘new era of devolution’, but she can't even get her own MPs to back her. Everything outlined in her speech is empty rhetoric unless that changes.
“Scotland already has these powers. Wales does not. Until Labour matches words with action, Wales will continue to be short-changed by billions of pounds, depriving communities of much-needed transport investment.”
ENDS
