The Welsh government is calling for £1bn of the UK government’s planned £14bn rail investment commitment to be brought forward, arguing that accelerated funding is needed to improve the country’s network.
Finance minister Elin Jones made the request in a letter to UK chancellor John Healey ahead of the autumn Budget on 28 October.
Funding imbalance
The Welsh government said that only 1% of Network Rail spending across England and Wales is currently directed towards railways in Wales. It wants an initial £1bn allocation to move ahead of planned improvement projects.
The UK government has committed to supporting a long-term improvement pipeline with Transport for Wales worth up to £14bn. Proposed work includes new stations, safety improvements on the North Wales Coast Main Line and capacity upgrades on the South Wales relief lines.
Jones said: “Wales has waited long enough. This budget is the UK Government’s chance to show it’s serious about delivering for our communities.
“Right now, just 1% of Network Rail’s spending across England and Wales is going towards our railways. That’s not good enough.
“The UK government has committed to invest £14 billion to address the historical underfunding of Wales’ railways and I want to see that promise turned into action, starting with this budget.”
The Welsh government is also seeking UK investment in major projects including the decarbonisation of Pembrokeshire Power Station.
“Wales already makes a strong contribution to the UK economy, and investing in our future will help deliver the prime minister’s own ambition to spread prosperity and opportunity to every part of the UK,” Jones said. “This budget is the moment to match that ambition with action.”
Historical underinvestment
A report prepared for the Welsh government in 2018 found that Wales had approximately 10% to 11% of the UK rail network by route length, but received just over 1% of the UK rail enhancement budget between 2011 and 2016.
Welsh MPs have also argued that classifying HS2 as an England and Wales project has deprived Wales of £5bn in potential rail investment. In July 2026, the Welsh government opened formal talks with Westminster on securing a fairer share of rail funding and a route towards full devolution of rail.