Call for electrification rethink welcomed by campaigners

THE Campaign to Electrify Britain’s Railway has welcomed the report by the Transport Committee into Rail Infrastructure Investment.

The report argued that the way schemes are assessed will “always favour London” and “work against the UK Government’s intention to rebalance the economy”.

It also stated the real funding gaps between London and regions in need of economic regeneration will worsen if not addressed directly.

Campaign spokesman Noel Dolphin said: “We have campaigned against the cancellation of electrification to Swansea by the UK Government as the worst type of shorttermism, and are delighted that the Transport Select Committee is recommending that electrification to Swansea is reconsidered.

“The committee has clearly recognised the disappointment felt by Swansea and the wider region, illustrating that the Government had not adequately assessed the impact of the cancellation in Wales.”

The report was partly sparked by the decision last year to cancel the electrification of 60 miles of track between Cardiff and Swansea.

This was at the same time that the Westminster Government awarded £6.6bn worth of contracts as part of the next phase of the high-speed rail network between London and Birmingham.

Schemes in the North, Midlands and the Lake District were also cancelled.

At the time Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said journey times between Cardiff and Swansea will not be affected, as new bi-mode trains – which will switch from electric to diesel at Cardiff Central Railway Station – will be just as fast as if the section was electrified.

The report was critical of this approach as it “ignored the environmental cost”.

Mr Dolphin added: “Those who care about the rail industry, local jobs, passengers and environmental sustainability see that electrification is the optimal solution for the railways. A huge percentage of money invested in electrification is spent locally training new apprentices, in the SME supply chain and providing better connectivity between our regions.

“If the UK Government accepted and implemented the findings of the report, it would be a huge boost for the regional economy, delivering benefits for passengers and supporting the UK’s wider environmental goals.”