Welsh Rail: are we being dazzled with promises and figures?

 News that the new operators of Wales and Borders rail services have unveiled their plans, promising to spend £800m on new trains and to increase capacity by two thirds is welcome

Of course  there may be a vast difference between Plans and Outcomes

According to the BBC and it looks to be very Cardiff centric

KeolisAmey, who won the £5bn bid last month, says 95% of journeys will be on the new trains within five years.

It also announced four new Cardiff light rail stations as part of the South Wales Metro.

An extra 600 staff will also be recruited, the company said.
The French-Spanish joint venture will take over operations from Arriva Trains Wales for the next 15 years from October.
New trains, light rail cars and buses will be in red and black colours - and carry Transport for Wales (TfW) branding, not company logos.Comments
First Minister Carwyn Jones called it a "landmark moment in the future development of Wales".

Announcement highlights and what it all means:

• All trains will be replaced and with 95% of journeys will be on brand new trains by 2023
• Half of all new trains will be assembled in Wales
• £1.9bn has been committed to improving passengers' travel experience, including £800m invested in trains to boost overall service capacity by 65%.
• £194m has been pledged modernise Wales' 247 stations
• There will be four Cardiff stations for the new Metro light rail: they will be at Gabalfa, Crwys Road, Loudoun Square and The Flourish in Cardiff Bay
• An additional 600 staff will be recruited to the existing 2,200 transferring over from Arriva Trains Wales; there will also be 30 new apprentices for each year of the contract.
• From December 2018, there will be increased capacity on the Valleys lines and new services between Chester and Liverpool
• By the end of 2023, an extra 285 services each weekday are promised across Wales (a 29% rise). Some of the lines benefiting will be Ebbw Vale, Wrexham-Bidston, Cambrian and the Heart of Wales
• Sunday services will be increased by 61% with an additional 294 services across Wales "creating a true seven-day-a-week service"
• Smart ticketing will promise more flexible fares and cheaper off-peak fares will be introduced including in north Wales and at half of stations in the valleys
• All stations will run on renewable energy
• All stations will be deep-cleaned in the first year
• Rail users forums will be set up
• Active travel will be encouraged by the installation of new bike lockers.

Wales rail investment

2018 to 2033

£5bn

value of contract

• £800m investment in trains
  
• £194m to modernise 247 stations and build four Metro stations
  
• 285 extra services Monday to Friday
  
• 294 extra Sunday services
  

Welsh Government/Transport for Wales

The new network map, including the proposals for the South Wales Metro, is expected to be released later at a launch in Treforest.
The new operators emphasised that the changes would not happen overnight and Wales' railway "would be unrecognisable" in five years time.

KeolisAmey have to deliver the long-promised South Wales Metro - improving public transport links between Cardiff and the south Wales valleys and beyond - as part of the contract awarded by the Welsh Government.
It includes taking over 124 miles of the valleys lines from Network Rail.
But it was also challenged to bring in newer trains, solve overcrowding issues for commuters and deal with the expected continuing rise in demand.
The first minister said: "People said they wanted affordable fares and newer, cleaner trains and we have worked hard to ensure this is reflected in what we are launching today".

It is still to early to convince me that  this will not be part of the  "Greater Cardiff" policy that has been the major infrastructure  plans that have emerged in the last few years and when we see further details. any investment outside the Capitol will be part of it.

I hope I'm wrong but we have been dazzled with promises and figures before and have  not really seem any outcome.

What will a future Welsh Government do if the KeolisAmey, promises  are not met?



KeolisAmey already runs Greater Manchester Metrolink and London's Docklands Light Railway, among others.

Could BBC Wales  who seemed to have relied on a  press release for this news look into whether KeolisAmey have lived up to their promises there.