Written question WQ93974

The transport department manages its annual expenditure in line with published budgets. Sometimes this may require in-year changes in specific budgets across the portfolio to manage both increases and reductions in expected expenditure during the year. These changes are published in the Welsh Government’s supplementary budgets.

In financial year 22/23, an additional £125m extra in-year funding was allocated to protect essential rail services during an exceptionally challenging time for the rail industry across the UK. The combination of existing budgets and emergency Covid funding was able to cover costs of operating services during the pandemic. However, as demand had not returned in full in all areas alongside significant inflationary pressures, a gap arose once the pandemic funding came to an end and additional funding was required.