‘No decision made’ over train plans
THE UK Government has revealed it has yet to make a “decision to develop” the Welsh rail schemes it announced when cancelling Swansea electrification in 2017.
The schemes, which include faster journeys in North and South Wales and significant improvements to Cardiff Central station, were listed by then transport secretary Chris Grayling when he announced that the UK Government had cancelled the £433m electrification between Cardiff and Swansea.
In July this year, he said £58m would be invested in Cardiff Central and a proposed West Wales Parkway station, north of Swansea.
However, the Department for Transport’s new Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) reveals that the UK Government has not committed to any of the schemes.
The Welsh Government said the pace of the schemes announced by Mr Grayling was unsatisfactory.
In July 2017, Mr Grayling told the House of Commons there was no need to electrify to Swansea because new trains could switch seamlessly between electric and diesel power.
“In addition to the new trains, Network Rail will develop further options to improve journeys for passengers in Wales,” he pledged.
The schemes would include, but would “not be limited to”:
■ Faster journeys and connections between Swansea and Cardiff, and South Wales, Bristol and London; and
■ Improvements at “Cardiff station”.
The RNEP shows the status of rail schemes for England and Wales in relation to three gateways – “Decision to Initiate”; “Decision to Develop”; and “Decision to Deliver”.
“Government does not commit to delivery until a Decision to Deliver has been approved,” says the document.
Work to “improve passenger flow and increase train capacity at Cardiff Central station” has passed “Decision to Initiate”. It will leapfrog the next gateway and now awaits “Decision to Deliver”. Other Welsh schemes have been initiated but have not reached “Decision to Develop”. They include:
■ Improving journey times and connections between Swansea and Cardiff; and ■ Upgrading relief lines (now primarily used for freight trains) between the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The UK Government is responsible for funding the development and delivery of improvements to the railway network. Following decades of under-investment, it is clear the pace at which these schemes have been developed has not been satisfactory.”
The Welsh Government had told the DfT’s ongoing rail review that rail infrastructure should be fully devolved, with a fair funding settlement.
Peter Kingsbury, chairman of passenger group Railfuture Wales, said: “It is now over two years since the cancellation of the Cardiff-Swansea electrification and Railfuture Wales is very disappointed that the compensatory options for improving passenger journeys appear to have made little progress towards being realised.
“Whilst journeys from Cardiff to London will become quicker from December, journey times between the two largest cities in Wales, Swansea and Cardiff, remain little changed from what they were 10 years ago.
“Elsewhere, apart from the improvements to Cardiff Central station, minimal or no progress has been made in progressing the other 2017 options.”
A DfT spokesman said the pipeline process ensured every scheme represented value for money and could be delivered efficiently and effectively.
“Inclusion in this document is not a guarantee of delivery and the Government only ever commits to the next stage of development, but this represents important progress.
“The Transport Secretary has been clear that he wants passengers to have punctual, reliable services.
“That is why we are investing a record £48bn to expand and modernise our railways and ensuring around 98p in every £1 from fares goes back into running and maintaining services.”