Posted 12th March 2012 | 5 Comments
Welsh delegation calls for more electrification
A DELEGATION of business people and politicians from south Wales has arrived in Westminster to urge a rethink on electrification.
The Great Western Main Line is set to be electrified from London as far as Cardiff Central, but many people in south Wales say the scheme should continue to Swansea.
Conservative AM Byron Davies is also calling for a South Wales Metro to be created, which would require electrification of the Valley lines.
Such a scheme already exists in outline, although its supporters say they are worried that some routes, such as the lines to Ebbw Vale Parkway and Maesteg, may not be included.
Welsh Government minister Carl Sargeant is arguing that further investment would boost the economy in depressed areas.
In an article published in the Western Mail, he said the case for electrification was 'far stronger than many rail schemes that have already been funded by the UK Government in England'.
A Department for Transport spokesman said that the Welsh Government had provided an outline business case for electrification beyond Cardiff to Swansea.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Mark, Cardiff
Rail infrastructure is non devolved. DfT hold powers and ££ for England and Wales as a whole. So Welsh Taxpayers are contributing to schemes such as Crossrail, HS2, etc - with no Barnett Consequential - so say 5% of £40Bn...or £2Bn. Whereas we need just ~£0.5Bn to electrify the entire sout wales rail network; the business case for which has already been acknowledged by DfT as strong and has a BCR well in excess of the 1.7ish calculated for HS2.
John Gilbert, Cradley
Further to David's comment, I have had it from Cardiff/Caerdydd that Wales/Cymru, unlike Scotland/'Yr Alban, has not been given the powers to control transport. Quite why I have never been able to find out, but it must reside somewhere in the weird devolution settlement wished on Cardiff by Tony Blair. Cardiff does have a limited say in transport, but the main powers still lie at Westminster/Sant Steffan. As David implies, it would be logical for the onus for Cardiff to Swansea/Abertawe wiring to lie in Wales.....but as yet it ain't possible. Crazy? Yes, of course!
David Day, Laddingford, Kent
In an ideal world where money was no object the whole network would be electrified. Realistically budget constraints mean that a phased approach is called for, where the first lines to be adapted should be the ones giving the fastest payback. But that doesn’t mean areas closer to London and the main urban centres should see their economies boom at the expense of other parts of the UK, and the Welsh delegation are right to press their case.
Electrification brings with it additional signal sighting hazards with the danger that gantries could obscure the view of the signal for the driver. Desktop signal sighting technology which combines virtual reality 3D modelling with high definition video will enable those designing the gantries to position them so they don’t obstruct existing signals. This process is both more cost effective than the traditional labour intensive trackside method and far safer than its high risk precursor – and an essential tool in the upgrading of our rail infrastructure.
John Gilbert, Cradley
Of course the wrires should go through to Swansea/Abertawe; for one thing more electric sets and fewer expensive bi-mode sets would then be needed. I have to say that it seems like sheer English prejudice, (I am an Englishman,) that the wires will stop at Caerdydd. Totally illogical. After all in England we have Cambridge to King's Lynn - a medium sized city to a market town. In Wales we are talking about connecting the two largest cities - no less! The decision stinks of Whitehall and Westminster parochialism!! Keep up the pressure Wales!! (As you did at Twickenham!!)
David, Guildford
Can Wales not pay for it? or at least pay a little, if it's that important to them then they'll find the money