- 20/07/2017
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Categories: Press Releases, Uncategorized
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP announced this morning (20 July) in an article for Wales Online that the Government has scrapped plans to electrify the main train line between Swansea and Cardiff.
This comes just days after the decision to award £6.6bn worth of contracts as part of the next phase of the high speed rail network between London and Birmingham.
Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East said:
“The Transport Secretary did not have the decency to formally announce this in Parliament and waited until the last day before the summer recess to slip this out. It shows an utter lack of respect for the people of Swansea and South Wales who have been promised electrification since 2012.
“I have lost count of the amount of times the Government have denied that this was their plan, this is yet another Tory U-turn that will impact heavily on Wales.
“With rail electrification now scrapped, I worry for the future of Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and the Swansea Bay City Deal.”
Mike Hedges AM said….. ‘I agree with Carolyn; this is very bad news for South West Wales. The Tories say one thing and do another when it comes to the people of Wales. Other areas where electrification projects have been cancelled for the last part of a route, have seen services on the part not electrified downgraded and communities on these routes see service reductions. We will be campaigning hard to ensure that the Cardiff to Swansea line does not suffer in the same way’
ENDS
