Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether cost / benefit ratios were calculated for all of the candidate stations considered at stage one of the new rail stations prioritisation process, and if so, how they were calculated and used in the appraisal process?
I refer the Assembly Member to my recent letter to Assembly Members on 6 June which includes the Stage 1 Assessment Report on New Rail Stations Prioritisation containing the transport case assessment criteria.
The stage two assessment will look in more detail at the strength of the financial and economic case for a new railway station, including advice from Network Rail on deliverability. This is an on-going and iterative process and once the assessment of the priority list is completed there will be an opportunity to then consider the next group of regional stations.