Mike Hedges AM asks First Minister to continue his support for electrification of Cardiff to Swansea Main line

Mike Hedges AM asks First Minister to continue his support for electrification of Cardiff to Swansea Main line

Swansea East AM has asked the First Minister, Carwyn Jones to confirm his ongoing support for Electrification of the main line from Cardiff to Swansea.

Mike said… it is vital that pressure is kept on so that the issues does not drift from people’s agenda. I am grateful to hear of the on-going support from the First Minister and his Government

Mike Hedges

I would like to stress the importance of the electrification of the main London to Swansea rail line in going through Bridgend, First Minister. I think it’s incredibly important. The message it sends out to potential investors about how important you think an area is when you stop the electrification 40 miles away I think is seriously disadvantageous to those of us who live west of Cardiff. Will the First Minister continue to support electrification of the railway line from Cardiff to Swansea?

13:54

Carwyn Jones

 The First Minister

‘Yes’ is the simple answer. But, of course, this is not a devolved area. The budget is held by the UK Government; it’s for the UK Government to make good on its promise. I share his concern that, in time, as we see different trains being introduced over the years, the fact there’s no electrification will mean, in time, that the inter-city trains will stop in Cardiff because there is no mode of traction able to take them further west. Yes, we do have bimodal trains now. Yesterday’s launch was perhaps not the most auspicious launch, as the first train broke down. The second one seemed to be cascading water over people because of a fault with the air-conditioning system. But we hope that those issues, clearly, are resolved for the good of the economy of south Wales. But a promise was made to the people of Wales; that promise was broken by the same party. What worth now is any promise from any Conservative Government if they’re breaking a promise that was so publicly made