‘Reverse decision on rail electrification, you’ve failedWales’
THE UK Government has been accused of “letting Wales down” following the decision not to electrify rail lines between Swansea and Cardiff.
A letter signed by 22 Labour MPs in South Wales is calling on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Wales Secretary Alun Cairns to reverse the decision made last month as part of what has been described as “continued neglect” for rail services in Wales.
The news comes after it was announced in July that 60 miles of track between Cardiff and Swansea would not be electrified despite promises made by the Conservative government in 2012.
A fleet of bi-mode diesel and electric trains will instead be used between the two cities, with the Secretary for Transport defending the decision to save “months of work”.
Written by Ogmore MP and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rail in Wales Chris Elmore, the letter describes train services in Wales as being “left behind” the rest of the UK.
The letter reads: “Your refusal to provide adequate funding and upgrades to the Wales route over the last few years has allowed our railways to fall behind other UK regions.
“The recent announcement that you will be reneging on your promise to electrify the Great Western Mainline from Cardiff to Swansea forms part of a series of failures to provide adequate funding for transport in our region.
“We are calling on you to stop letting Wales down and urge the government to reverse the decision to renege on electrification to Swansea; address the historical underfunding of the Welsh railway network, and honour the funding agreement you made with the Welsh Government in 2014 to secure a sustainable new Wales and Border franchise agreement.”
The letter acknowledges that while electrification of lines between Cardiff and Newport is set to continue, it stresses investment “must benefit the whole of South Wales, including those communities who rely upon accessing a good mainline service.”
Mr Elmore said the decision not to electrify tracks between the two cities comes as a “total kick in the teeth” after the UK government’s commitment to the Crossrail 2 project in South England.
He said: “We had lots of confirmation as recently as early last year before Welsh Government elections. It’s a broken promise – Wales has 11% of the Wales and England track but only 1.5% of funding for rail upgrades.”
Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens added: “We need the UK government to invest in good public transport right across the country – including providing vital funding for the development of Cardiff Central station – not leaving Wales as an afterthought.”