English: Llywydd, can I thank Russell George for his contribution, for his questions? I very much welcome the cross-party support that the Government gratefully has for its position on devolution of rail. I think the Member makes an important case for the integration not just of track and train, but of various modes of transport, and that's precisely what we are intending to do by having rail devolved to Wales. I think the Member is also right that passengers right now will be reflecting on the services that they use in the present moment. Now, we are on a journey, a £5 billion journey - Russell George rightly identifies recent challenges that have, in no small part, been due to historic underinvestment in the rail network. And Russell rightly identified, for example, signalling failures, which are due to a lack of investment in recent times. I would welcome the UK Government's commitment to spend additional resources across the Wales route network. However, I would also remind Members of the very significant resource that the Welsh Government has invested in rail infrastructure in recent years - which has not been a responsibility; we've done it regardless. And, in recent times, I think the Wales Audit Office were able to calculate that something in the region of £362 million has been contributed by the Welsh Government to wider public spending on Welsh railways. The Welsh Government has also invested £226 million in rail infrastructure enhancement projects, including using European Union structural funds. This has been vitally important, given that, in recent times - the recent control period - we have not seen the spend that has been required within the Wales route network. The Department for Transport, I am pleased to say, is now committed to develop the following cases to the next case of their pipeline process: they have determined that the north Wales coastline does require speed improvements, that line-speed improvements are necessary between Cardiff and Swansea, and that relief line upgrades between the Severn Tunnel junction and Cardiff are also required. It's worth noting, however, Llywydd, that line-speed improvements on the Wrexham to Bidston line did not produce a strong case for progression. However, I'm very pleased to say that it's been agreed that improvements to this line will be considered and developed by Network Rail in the context of a wider scheme that considers conductivity all the way from Liverpool to Wrexham as part of the vision for the north Wales metro. Now, these are welcome commitments, Llywydd; these are very welcome commitments. And it's clear that these have to be taken forward at great pace and with much better engagement with the Welsh Government and local stakeholders. In terms of other recent challenges that we faced on the route, Members will recall in the autumn of last year challenges due to the fact that we inherited a fleet without wheel-slide protection. Wheel-slide protection, I'm pleased to say, has now been applied to those trains that didn't have the systems in place. It's part of a £14-million investment in the existing fleet whilst those new trains are being built. I'm also pleased to say that Transport for Wales and Network Rail have an excellent partnership and a fantastic degree of communication, which has not always been there, I think it's fair to say. And Network Rail, I'm pleased to say, has spent something in the region of £3 million dealing with vegetation along the railway lines. That's absolutely crucial. Specific lines in Wales faced challenges last year because of excessive vegetation. I do believe that Transport for Wales has ramped up activity and expertise very rapidly, but, of course, as additional functions are transferred to the body, additional expertise and human resources will be required. At the start of the 15-year journey, we said that Transport for Wales would be recruiting scores of new people to key roles and, in addition, that Transport for Wales would require, as and when necessary, expertise to deliver additional functions. That's something that is ongoing and, of course, if and, we hope, when devolution of responsibilities transfer to Welsh Government, we would expect to see additional expertise acquired by Transport for Wales. In terms of the core Valleys line asset transfer, well, the transfer is due to be completed imminently in the coming months, and the time frame for construction of the metro, I am pleased to say, remains in line with the vision outlined when we launched the franchise agreement. Trains are being built and services will commence as expected and as outlined in the original document published in the autumn of 2018. There are, of course, enormous challenges across the UK within the sector in acquiring rolling stock at this moment in time, but we're confident that we'll be able to meet the December timetable changes with the fleet that we have and with rolling stock that can be brought onto the tracks in time. In terms of the stations that we would wish to see developed, I'm pleased to say that we've identified those stations within the actual document that we have published, but they will require agreement from UK Government to fund them. One of the big problems that we've had in recent times with the funding of infrastructure in the UK is that the Treasury Green Book essentially leads to investment being prioritised and channelled to those areas where there is the greatest intensity of populations. That means, by and large, the south-east of London. We wish to see a different model adopted across the UK and, certainly, within Wales, we are doing just that - trying to spread investment more equally across all regions in order to balance opportunities for growth and prosperity and to address imbalances in terms of wealth and employment opportunities.
Welsh: Llywydd, a gaf i ddiolch i Russell George am ei gyfraniad, am ei gwestiynau? Rwy'n croesawu'n fawr y gefnogaeth drawsbleidiol sydd gan y Llywodraeth, yn ddiolchgar iawn, am ei safiad ar ddatganoli rheilffyrdd. Rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn cyflwyno achos pwysig dros integreiddio nid yn unig y cledrau a'r trenau, ond dulliau gwahanol o deithio hefyd, a dyna'n union beth yr ydym ni'n bwriadu ei wneud drwy ddatganoli rheilffyrdd i Gymru. Rwy'n credu bod yr Aelod yn iawn hefyd y bydd teithwyr ar hyn o bryd yn meddwl am y gwasanaethau y maen nhw'n eu defnyddio ar hyn o bryd. Nawr, rydym ni ar daith, taith £5 biliwn - mae Russell George yn gywir yn nodi heriau diweddar sydd, yn rhannol, wedi digwydd oherwydd tanfuddsoddi hanesyddol yn y rhwydwaith rheilffyrdd. Ac mae Russell wedi nodi'n gywir, er enghraifft, methiannau yn y signalau, sy'n ganlyniad i ddiffyg buddsoddi diweddar. Byddwn yn croesawu ymrwymiad Llywodraeth y DU i wario rhagor o adnoddau ledled rhwydwaith llwybr Cymru. Fodd bynnag, hoffwn atgoffa'r Aelodau hefyd o'r adnoddau sylweddol iawn y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'u buddsoddi yn y seilwaith rheilffyrdd yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf - na fu'n gyfrifoldeb inni; rydym ni wedi gwneud hynny beth bynnag. Ac, yn ddiweddar, rwy'n credu bod Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru wedi gallu cyfrifo bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyfrannu oddeutu £362 miliwn at wariant cyhoeddus ehangach ar reilffyrdd Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd wedi buddsoddi £226 miliwn mewn prosiectau gwella seilwaith rheilffyrdd, gan gynnwys defnyddio cronfeydd strwythurol yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Bu hyn yn hanfodol bwysig, o gofio, yn ddiweddar - y cyfnod rheoli diweddar - nid ydym ni wedi gweld y gwariant angenrheidiol ar rwydwaith llwybrau Cymru. Mae'r Adran Drafnidiaeth, mae'n dda gennyf ddweud, wedi ymrwymo nawr i ddatblygu'r achosion canlynol i'r cam nesaf o'r broses sydd ganddyn nhw ar y gweill: maen nhw wedi penderfynu bod angen gwella cyflymder ar arfordir y gogledd, bod gwelliannau o ran cyflymder ar y llinell yn angenrheidiol rhwng Caerdydd ac Abertawe, a bod angen uwchraddio'r llinell liniaru rhwng Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren a Chaerdydd hefyd. Mae'n werth nodi, fodd bynnag, Llywydd, nad oedd dadl gref dros fwrw ymlaen i gynyddu cyflymder ar y rheilffordd rhwng Wrecsam a Bidston. Fodd bynnag, rwy'n falch iawn o ddweud y cytunwyd y bydd Network Rail yn ystyried a datblygu gwelliannau i'r llinell hon yng nghyd-destun cynllun ehangach sy'n ystyried dargludedd yr holl ffordd o Lerpwl i Wrecsam yn rhan o'r weledigaeth ar gyfer metro gogledd Cymru. Nawr, mae'r ymrwymiadau hyn i'w croesawu, Llywydd; mae'r ymrwymiadau hyn yn rhai i'w croesawu'n fawr. Ac mae'n amlwg bod yn rhaid bwrw ymlaen â'r rhain yn gyflym iawn ac ymgysylltu'n llawer gwell â Llywodraeth Cymru a rhanddeiliaid lleol. O ran heriau diweddar eraill a wynebwyd gennym ni ar y llwybr, bydd Aelodau'n cofio yn ystod yr hydref y llynedd heriau yn sgîl y ffaith ein bod wedi etifeddu fflyd heb amddiffyniad rhag llithriad olwynion. Mae systemau diogelu rhag llithriad olwynion, rwy'n falch o ddweud, bellach wedi eu cynnwys ar y trenau hynny nad oedd ganddynt y systemau o'r blaen. Mae'n rhan o fuddsoddiad £14 miliwn yn y fflyd bresennol tra caiff y trenau newydd hynny eu hadeiladu. Rwyf hefyd yn falch o ddweud bod gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru a Network Rail bartneriaeth ragorol a'u bod yn cyfathrebu'n wych, rhywbeth na fu wastad yn wir, rwy'n credu ei bod hi'n deg dweud. Ac mae Network Rail, rwy'n falch o ddweud, wedi gwario tua £3 miliwn yn ymdrin â llystyfiant ar hyd y rheilffyrdd. Mae hynny'n gwbl hanfodol. Roedd llinellau penodol yng Nghymru yn wynebu heriau y llynedd oherwydd llystyfiant gormodol. Rwyf yn credu bod Trafnidiaeth Cymru wedi cynyddu gweithgarwch ac arbenigedd yn gyflym iawn, ond, wrth gwrs, wrth i swyddogaethau ychwanegol gael eu trosglwyddo i'r corff, bydd angen arbenigedd ac adnoddau dynol ychwanegol. Ar ddechrau'r daith 15 mlynedd, fe wnaethom ni ddweud y byddai Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn recriwtio ugeiniau o bobl newydd i swyddogaethau allweddol ac, hefyd, y byddai Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn gofyn am arbenigedd, yn ôl yr angen, i gyflawni swyddogaethau ychwanegol. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth sy'n parhau ac, wrth gwrs, os, a gobeithiwn, pan fydd datganoli cyfrifoldebau yn trosglwyddo i Lywodraeth Cymru, byddem yn disgwyl gweld Trafnidiaeth Cymru yn sicrhau arbenigedd ychwanegol. O ran trosglwyddo asedau llinell graidd y Cymoedd, wel, mae'r trosglwyddiad i fod i gael ei gwblhau'n fuan yn y misoedd sydd i ddod, ac mae'r amserlen ar gyfer adeiladu'r metro, mae'n dda gennyf ddweud, yn parhau yn unol â'r weledigaeth a amlinellwyd pan lansiwyd y cytundeb fasnachfraint gennym ni. Mae trenau'n cael eu hadeiladu a bydd gwasanaethau'n dechrau yn ôl y disgwyl ac fel yr amlinellwyd yn y ddogfen wreiddiol a gyhoeddwyd yn ystod hydref 2018. Mae heriau enfawr, wrth gwrs, ledled y DU yn y sector o ran caffael cerbydau ar hyn o bryd, ond rydym ni'n hyderus y byddwn ni'n gallu bodloni'r newidiadau i amserlen mis Rhagfyr gyda'r fflyd sydd gennym ni a chyda cerbydau y gellir dod â nhw ar y cledrau mewn pryd. O ran y gorsafoedd yr hoffem ni eu gweld yn cael eu datblygu, rwy'n falch o ddweud ein bod wedi nodi'r gorsafoedd hynny yn y ddogfen yr ydym ni wedi'i chyhoeddi, ond bydd angen i Lywodraeth y DU gytuno i'w hariannu. Un o'r problemau mawr a gawsom ni yn ddiweddar gyda chyllido seilwaith yn y DU yw bod Llyfr Gwyrdd y Trysorlys yn ei hanfod yn arwain at flaenoriaethu a chyfeirio buddsoddiad i'r ardaloedd hynny lle mae'r poblogaethau mwyaf dwys. Mae hynny'n golygu, ar y cyfan, de-ddwyrain Llundain. Rydym ni eisiau gweld model gwahanol yn cael ei fabwysiadu ledled y DU ac, yn sicr, yng Nghymru, rydym ni'n gwneud hynny'n union - yn ceisio buddsoddi yn fwy cyfartal ar draws pob rhanbarth er mwyn cydbwyso cyfleoedd am dwf a ffyniant a mynd i'r afael ag anghydbwysedd o ran cyfoeth a chyfleoedd gwaith.