The cancellation of rail electrification in South Wales Contents

1Introduction

Background

1.In 2009, the UK Government announced its intention to electrify the Great Western mainline between London and Swansea within eight years. The then Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, said that electrification would enable the introduction of a “predominantly electric” fleet of high speed trains which would “offer faster journey times, more seats, greater reliability, improved air quality and lower carbon emissions than their diesel equivalents, as well as being cheaper to buy, operate and maintain”.1

2.Since 2009, while the UK Government has consistently reiterated its commitment to electrify the line from London to Cardiff, it has changed its position on the electrification of the line between Cardiff and Swansea three times. In March 2011, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, while confirming the Government’s intention to electrify the London to Cardiff line, stated that there was “not, at present, a viable business case for electrification of the main line between Cardiff and Swansea”.2 In July 2012, Mr Hammond’s successor, Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, reversed this decision, and announced that the Department for Transport and the Welsh Government had agreed on a proposal to complete electrification of the line to Swansea. She stated that this investment, along with the electrification of the valley lines into Cardiff, would “help to unlock significant economic and employment opportunities in some of the most deprived parts of Wales”.3

3.In 2014, the then Prime Minister David Cameron affirmed his commitment to the plans, saying:

I am delighted to announce today that we are going to press ahead with the electrification of the Valley Lines. After years of neglect, this part of Wales will finally get the infrastructure it needs with faster, more modern, more efficient trains and the impact will be huge. Spreading the employment opportunities from Cardiff and out to the Valleys and helping hardworking people from all parts of this great nation to get on. This has only been possible because of the UK government and shows our long-term economic plan in action and working for the people of Wales.4

4.The latest decision about the line to Swansea was taken in July 2017 when the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, announced that the Government no longer intended to electrify this stretch of the railway. He argued that electrification was no longer necessary because the Government had procured new Intercity Express (IEP) trains, which, through ‘bi-modal’ operation, would “switch seamlessly between electric and diesel power”. Mr Grayling said that these new trains would deliver “faster journeys and more seats for passengers without disruptive work to put up wires and masts along routes where they are no longer required”.5

Table 1: Timeline of announcements on Cardiff to Swansea rail electrification

Date

Transport Secretary

Decision

Comments

July 2009

Lord Adonis

Go ahead

“Work will begin immediately on the electrification of the Great Western Main Line between London, Reading, Oxford, Newbury, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea, to be completed within eight years.”6

“These trains will offer faster journey times, more seats, greater reliability, improved air quality and lower carbon emissions than their diesel equivalents, as well as being cheaper to buy, operate and maintain.”7

March 2011

Philip Hammond

Cancel

“I regret to have to say that there is not, at present, a viable business case for electrification of the main line between Cardiff and Swansea.”8

July 2012

Justine Greening

Go ahead

“My Department and the Welsh Government have agreed on a proposal for the electrification of the valleys lines into Cardiff and for the completion of the electrification of the Great Western main line to Swansea.

“That is fantastic news for people in south Wales […] I expect that investment to help to unlock significant economic and employment opportunities in some of the most deprived parts of Wales.”9

July 2017

Chris Grayling

Cancel

“New bi-mode train technology offers seamless transfer from diesel power to electric that is undetectable to passengers […] we no longer need to electrify every line to achieve the same significant improvements to journeys”.10

Our inquiry

5.Following the announcement in 2017, we agreed to launch an inquiry into the Government’s decision to cancel electrification between Cardiff and Swansea. In three oral evidence sessions we heard from railway experts, representatives of the industry and the Minister of State for Transport, Jo Johnson MP. We also received written evidence from a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, businesses and organisations with an interest in the railways. We are grateful to all those who gave evidence to us.11

6.Our Report falls into three parts: in Chapter 2, we look at how the most recent decision to cancel electrification between Cardiff and Swansea came about; in Chapter 3, we consider the bi-mode trains that will now operate on the Cardiff-Swansea route, and compare their operation to that of purely electric or diesel trains; in the final Chapter, we look at what other options might be available to enhance the experience of rail users in South Wales, and identify new investment opportunities in Welsh rail, given the cancellation of the electrification programme. In particular, we recommend that the Government seriously considers all options for improving the South Wales railway, including the Swansea Metro system, and the re-routing of the line to reduce journey times between Swansea and Cardiff.


1 Department for Transport, Britain’s Transport Infrastructure: Rail Electrification, July 2009, para 2

2 HC Deb, 1 March 2011, col 186

3 HC Deb, 16 July 2012, col 688

4 10 Downing Street press release, “PM announces rail package to electrify Valley Lines and boost Welsh economy”, 21 November 2015

5 Department for Transport press release, “Rail update: bi-mode train technology”, 20 July 2017

6 Department for Transport, Britain’s Transport Infrastructure: Rail Electrification, July 2009, para 1

7 Department for Transport, Britain’s Transport Infrastructure: Rail Electrification, July 2009, para 2

8 HC Deb, 1 March 2011, col 186

9 HC Deb, 1 March 2011, col 688

10 Department for Transport press release, “Rail update: bi-mode train technology”, 20 July 2017

11 A full list of witnesses and written evidence is available on pages 25–26.




Published: 21 May 2018