English: I welcome the Welsh Government bringing the matter of the future of Wales's railways to the floor of the Senedd for the National Assembly for Wales to discuss. In Islwyn, one of the most visible consequences of Welsh devolution has been the Welsh Government's reestablishment of the Ebbw Vale to Cardiff passenger railway line. This has been much welcomed as a major transport improvement and investment. The Ebbw Vale line has proved incredibly popular, and communities in Islwyn such as Newbridge, Crosskeys, Risca and Pontymister have directly benefitted. I also hate to disagree with my erstwhile colleague Alun Davies AM, but, as the Assembly Member for Islwyn, I am looking forward, as are my constituents, to the promised service on the Ebbw Vale line that will take the people of Gwent directly into our principal city of Newport. I am very grateful for the support the Welsh Government, and in particular the Minister for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates, has given to the call from Gwent Assembly Members to make this possible - [ Interruption.] I've got a lot to get through, so unfortunately not. This is in complete contrast to the abdication of the UK Government on electrification - long over promised, and still not delivered. I know that in Islwyn there is still much work to do with our railway services. All too often, constituents have contacted me, infuriated with the poor service they have received formerly from Arriva Trains Wales as they ran down their franchise. The complaints of vastly overcrowded trains can only be tackled by significant investment in rolling stock and the line itself to increase the number of services that run every hour, and also increase the number of carriages. So, I'm again calling for this on the Ebbw Vale line, Minister. As we debate this issue, though, it is essential that we do acknowledge and be realistic that rail infrastructure is currently not devolved. Rail infrastructure investment choices and priorities in Wales are currently made and set by the UK Government on behalf of Wales. You only have to look at the UK Tory Government's disgraceful decision to renege on their promises to electrify the south Wales main line to Swansea to understand that the Tory UK Government does not have Wales and our people's best interests at heart. Professor Mark Barry, a renowned transport expert in this work, and the 'The Rail Network in Wales: The Case for Investment' found, and I'll repeat, that Wales has been underfunded by more than £1 billion between 2011 and 2016. So, we compare this to the UK Tory Government's largesse in investing more than £50 billion in high speed 2 and potentially £30 billion to Crossrail. We know the money is there. Just ask the Democratic Unionist Party. Whilst I would never begrudge any investment in communities throughout the United Kingdom, there must be equality and fairness in prioritising the communities that government supports. We're all too familiar with the Tories' callous willingness to arbitrarily differentiate their treatment for communities, with the very poorest in our communities having disproportionately experienced the harmful policies of austerity since 2010. The Welsh Labour Government and the Labour Party, in complete contrast, will not leave our communities behind. The Press Association chief executive officer Darren Shirley has stated 'The Government should invest in a nationally led programme of expansion of the railway to help disadvantaged communities and tackle regional inequalities; reduce carbon emissions and air pollution; and create better and healthier places to live.' I think he's spot on, and he is backed by Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT union. So, the Welsh Government is on the right side of history with our ambitious desire for Wales's railways, and it is time the UK Tory Government allowed the Welsh Government to change the Railways Act 1993, a failed Act by the Major Government that prevents a public sector operator coming forward to run our railway service. In fact, it's definitely about time the shambolic UK Tory Government wholly supported the Welsh Government's ambitious plans for the Welsh rail network with both the political decisions it makes and the much needed financial contributions from the Treasury. So, I call on the UK Government to step up to the plate and deliver on their promises for Wales. Thank you.
Welsh: Rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn dod â'r mater o ddyfodol rheilffyrdd Cymru ger bron y Senedd er mwyn i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ei drafod. Yn Islwyn, un o ganlyniadau mwyaf gweladwy datganoli yng Nghymru yw ailsefydlu'r llinell reilffordd i deithwyr rhwng Glynebwy a Chaerdydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Croesawyd hyn yn fawr fel gwelliant trafnidiaeth a buddsoddiad sylweddol. Mae rheilffordd Glynebwy wedi bod yn hynod boblogaidd, ac mae cymunedau yn Islwyn, megis Trecelyn, Crosskeys, Rhisga a Phont-y-meistr wedi elwa'n uniongyrchol. Hefyd mae'n gas gennyf anghytuno â fy nghyd-Aelod gynt, Alun Davies AS, ond, fel yr Aelod Cynulliad dros Islwyn, rwyf yn edrych ymlaen, ynghyd â fy etholwyr, at y gwasanaeth a addawyd ar linell Glynebwy a fydd yn cludo pobl Gwent yn uniongyrchol i'n dinas fwyaf, sef Casnewydd. Rwyf yn ddiolchgar iawn am y gefnogaeth mae Llywodraeth Cymru, ac yn benodol Gweinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth, Ken Skates, wedi'i rhoi i'r alwad gan Aelodau Cynulliad Gwent i wneud hyn yn bosib - [ Torri ar draws.] Mae gen i lawer i'w ddweud felly yn anffodus, na. Mae hyn yn cyferbynnu'n llwyr ag esgeulustod Llywodraeth y DU o ran trydaneiddio - ymhell ar ei hôl hi, ac yn dal heb ei gyflawni. Rwy'n gwybod fod llawer o waith eto i'w wneud â'n gwasanaethau rheilffordd yn Islwyn. Yn rhy aml o lawer, mae etholwyr wedi cysylltu â mi, yn wyllt gacwn gyda'r gwasanaeth gwael yr oedden nhw'n ei gael o'r blaen gan Drenau Arriva Cymru wrth iddyn nhw ddod â'u masnachfraint i ben. Yr unig fodd o fynd i'r afael â'r cwynion am drenau gorlawn yw buddsoddi'n sylweddol mewn cerbydau a'r llinell ei hun i gynyddu nifer y gwasanaethau sy'n rhedeg bob awr, a hefyd i gynyddu nifer y cerbydau. Eto, felly, rwy'n galw am hyn ar linell Glynebwy, Gweinidog. Wrth inni drafod y mater hwn, fodd bynnag, mae'n hanfodol ein bod yn cydnabod ac yn realistig nad yw seilwaith y rheilffyrdd wedi'i ddatganoli ar hyn o bryd. Ar hyn o bryd, mae dewisiadau a blaenoriaethau o ran buddsoddi mewn seilwaith rheilffyrdd Cymru yn cael eu pennu gan Lywodraeth y DU ar ran Cymru. Does ond angen i chi edrych ar benderfyniad gwarthus Llywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU i gefnu ar eu haddewidion i drydaneiddio prif reilffordd De Cymru i Abertawe i ddeall nad oes gan Lywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU les pennaf Cymru a'n pobl mewn golwg. Canfu'r Athro Mark Barry, arbenigwr trafnidiaeth enwog yn y maes hwn, ynghyd â'r ddogfen 'Y Rhwydwaith Rheilffyrdd yng Nghymru: Yr Achos dros fuddsoddi', ac fe wnaf i ailadrodd, y cafodd Cymru ei llwgu o arian gan fwy na £1 biliwn rhwng 2011 a 2016. Felly, cymharwn hyn â haelioni Llywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU yn buddsoddi mwy na £50 biliwn yng nghynllun High Speed 2 ac, o bosib, £30 biliwn i Crossrail. Rydym ni'n gwybod fod yr arian ar gael. Gofynnwch i Blaid yr Unoliaethwyr Democrataidd. Er na fyddwn i erioed yn gwarafun unrhyw fuddsoddiad mewn cymunedau ledled y Deyrnas Unedig, mae'n rhaid cael cydraddoldeb a thegwch wrth flaenoriaethu'r cymunedau y mae'r Llywodraeth yn eu cefnogi. Rydym ni'n gyfarwydd iawn â pharodrwydd dideimlad y Torïaid i drin cymunedau yn wahanol yn ôl eu mympwy, a bod y tlotaf oll yn ein cymunedau wedi dioddef polisïau niweidiol cyni yn anghymesur ers 2010. Mewn cyferbyniad llwyr, ni fydd Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru a'r Blaid Lafur, yn anghofio am ein cymunedau. Mae Darren Shirley, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol Cymdeithas y Wasg wedi datgan Dylai'r Llywodraeth fuddsoddi mewn rhaglen genedlaethol o ymestyn y rheilffyrdd i helpu cymunedau difreintiedig ac i fynd i'r afael ag anghydraddoldebau rhanbarthol; lleihau allyriadau carbon a llygredd aer; a chreu lleoedd sy'n well ac yn fwy iach i fyw ynddynt. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn llygad ei le, ac mae Mick Cash, Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol Undeb yr RMT, yn ei gefnogi. Felly, mae Llywodraeth Cymru ar ochr gywir hanes gyda'n hawydd uchelgeisiol ar gyfer rheilffyrdd Cymru, ac mae'n bryd i Lywodraeth Dorïaidd y DU ganiatáu i Lywodraeth Cymru newid Deddf Rheilffyrdd 1993, Deddf aflwyddiannus Llywodraeth Major sy'n atal gweithredwyr yn y sector cyhoeddus rhag gwneud cais i redeg ein gwasanaeth rheilffyrdd. Yn ddi-os, mae hi'n hen bryd i Lywodraeth Dorïaidd hollol ddi-drefn y DU gefnogi cynlluniau uchelgeisiol Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd Cymru o ran y penderfyniadau gwleidyddol y maen nhw'n eu gwneud a'r cyfraniadau ariannol sydd dirfawr eu hangen gan y Trysorlys. Felly, galwaf ar Lywodraeth y DU i anrhydeddu eu haddewidion i Gymru. Diolch.