Politicians in Cardiff have called for the government to reconsider the electrification of the London to Cardiff rail line.
Taking the issue to Westminster tomorrow, council leaders from Cardiff, Bristol and Swindon have teamed up to present their case for the Great Western mainline with the backing of Cardiff Central MP Jenny Willott.
The electrification of the mainline by 2017 was a commitment made by the previous Labour government. When we featured the prospect of high-speed rail line for Cardiff on this blog, the new coalition government's Department for Transport gave a vague response as to its future.
Tomorrow, council leaders will argue the electrification is crucial as the next step towards high-speed rail, which south Wales Chamber of Commerce estimated would bring an extra £2.2billion boost to Wales.
Cardiff Council's Leader Rodney Berman said:
"I am fully committed to persuading the government to press ahead with electrifying the existing Great Western mainline between London, Cardiff and Swansea.
"Electrification will reduce existing journey times from Cardiff to London by 20 minutes. This is vital to the future growth of the economy in south Wales and can also provide a platform for the future development of a high-speed rail link. We will be using the opportunity at the reception to urge the Government to proceed with these proposals as originally planned."
Jenny Willott said:
"Electrification is incredibly important to developing better transport links between London and Cardiff and would provide a doorway to the rest of Wales.
"Not only would electrification be a real improvement for passengers, allowing more people to use the Great Western mainline, but it would be a great investment in Cardiff, helping to encourage private business which will be vital in the Welsh economic recovery."
