Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, calls on the First Minister to match the Conservative’s ambition for North Wales.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, a long time critic of the amount of money spent on rail services in South Wales compared the North, was speaking during a discussion on the capacity of the train services between North and South Wales.
He said:
What we're seeing is a symptom of years of underinvestment and poor management of the train services here in Wales.
We know that, in South Wales, there's £1 billion now set aside for a metro, whereas in North Wales there's only £50 million earmarked for investment up there, and all this whilst there was a £125 million bail-out for Transport for Wales last week.
Alongside this, though, we do have a UK Government, and Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who has now announced that £1 billion of investment is going to take place on the North Wales main line.
Would the First Minister, throw his support behind this investment and commit to matching the Conservative ambition for North Wales that you've lacked for the last quarter of a century?
Mark Drakeford said the £1 billion was an illustrative list and nobody should imagine for a moment that they were real projects.
Mr Rowlands added:
Quite clearly the First Minister and his Welsh Labour Government are not interested in supporting North Wales. The railway system in my constituency is truly appalling with many people facing a daily challenge to travel to work as trains are either delayed or cancelled on a regular basis, not to mention having to stand on some routes.
It really is disgraceful to dismiss any offer of investment for North Wales. I am sure he would be singing a different tune if the money was earmarked for the South!
Sam Rowlands AS eisiau mwy o arian ar gyfer gwella gwasanaethau trenau yng Ngogledd Cymru
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn galw ar y Prif Weinidog i ddangos yr un uchelgais â’r Ceidwadwyr ar gyfer y Gogledd.
Roedd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid, sy’n feirniadol ers tro am faint o arian sy'n cael ei wario ar wasanaethau rheilffordd yn Ne Cymru o'i gymharu â'r Gogledd, yn siarad yn ystod trafodaeth ar gapasiti'r gwasanaethau trên rhwng Gogledd a De Cymru.
Meddai:
Yr hyn rydyn ni'n ei weld yw symptom blynyddoedd o danfuddsoddi a rheolaeth wael ar y gwasanaethau trên yma yng Nghymru.
Rydyn ni'n gwybod, yn Ne Cymru, bod £1 biliwn bellach wedi'i neilltuo ar gyfer y Metro, ond yn y Gogledd, dim ond £50 miliwn sydd wedi'i glustnodi i'w fuddsoddi yno, a hyn i gyd tra bod help llaw o £125 miliwn wedi’i ddarparu ar gyfer Trafnidiaeth Cymru yr wythnos diwethaf.
Law yn llaw â hyn, fodd bynnag, mae gennym Lywodraeth y DU, a'r Prif Weinidog, Rishi Sunak, sydd bellach wedi cyhoeddi y bydd £1 biliwn o fuddsoddiad yn digwydd ar brif reilffordd Gogledd Cymru.
A fyddai'r Prif Weinidog, yn pledio ei gefnogaeth i'r buddsoddiad hwn ac yn ymrwymo i ddangos yr un uchelgais â’r Ceidwadwyr ar gyfer Gogledd Cymru sydd heb ei weld dros y chwarter canrif ddiwethaf?
Dywedodd Mark Drakeford fod y £1 biliwn yn rhestr enghreifftiol a dylai neb ddychmygu am eiliad eu bod yn brosiectau go iawn.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Mae’n gwbl amlwg nad oes gan y Prif Weinidog a'i Lywodraeth Lafur yng Nghymru ddiddordeb mewn cefnogi Gogledd Cymru. Mae'r system reilffordd yn fy etholaeth yn wirioneddol warthus gyda llawer o bobl yn wynebu her ddyddiol i deithio i'r gwaith gan fod trenau naill ai'n cael eu gohirio neu eu canslo yn rheolaidd, heb sôn am orfod sefyll ar rai gwasanaethau.
Mae'n warthus diystyru unrhyw gynnig o fuddsoddiad i Ogledd Cymru. Rwy'n siŵr y byddai'n stori wahanol pe bai'r arian yn cael ei glustnodi ar gyfer y De!
