Welsh Secretary Cairns tells MPs to ‘get over the issue’ of cancelled rail electrification
WELSH Secretary Alun Cairns has defended the cancellation of the electrification of the Great Western rail line from Cardiff to Swansea, telling MPs it was time to “get over the issue” and warning that criticism endangered investment in the city.
Mr Cairns was also challenged on the lack of progress on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the proposed rail link between the Great Western line and Heathrow airport during Welsh Questions in the House of Commons.
The Vale of Glamorgan MP insisted there would have been “no practical journey time saving” if the electrification of the Cardiff to Swansea stretch of the line had gone ahead, adding: “I think we need to get over the issue.”
Mr Cairns told MPs that constant criticism did nothing to help bring investment to Swansea.
He said: “I would say that the political grandstanding [does] nothing other than to undermine potential investment in Swansea and nor will we take any lectures from a party that left Wales in the same league as Moldova and Albania in terms of not having a single track of electrified railway lines.”
Plaid Cymru Ceredigion MP Ben Lake pushed for the cash saved by the scrapping of the plan to be put into Wales’ rail infrastructure. Citing estimates the savings could range from £430m to £700m, he said there was a “compelling case that any funds saved from the cancellation should be reinvested in the Welsh network”.
Mr Cairns acknowledged there was a “growing demand for a Swansea Parkway railway station wich will transform access to west Wales” and also noted support for linking Aberystwyth and Carmarthen.
Slough Labour MP Thanmanjeet Singh Dhesi demanded an update on proposals to link the Great Western line and Heathrow – a proposal greeted by Rhodri Morgan in 2012 as “one of the most important announcements in the last 50 years”.
Wales Office Minister Stuart Andrew said: “The Western Rail Link to Heathrow would significantly improve rail times and it is named in Network Rail’s enhancement pipeline. Network Rail are progressing and development of the link and a final consultation on the proposed alignment is expected to commence this month.”
Once again, Mr Cairns was pushed on plans for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. In January 2017 an independent review by former Energy Minister Charles Hendry gave the project the thumbs-up but the UK Government has yet to give its response.
Mr Cairns said: “We would like it to go forward but clearly it must be value for money. It’s right that we take time to consider the matter. The data has been shared with the Welsh Government. It demonstrates the partnership approach that we’re determined to take but none of us should want this to go ahead if it’s not good value for money for the taxpayer.”