Randerson calls for electricfication of Valleys lines to be brought forward

Jenny Randerson AM

Welsh Lib Dem Shadow Transport Minister, Jenny Randerson AM has today called for plans to be brought forward to electrify the Valley Lines network immediately following the electrification of the Great Western line.

The calls come after officials from the UK Department of Transport told the Assembly’s Enterprise and Learning Committee that “there is logic” that the Cardiff Area Network could be electrified once main line work reaches Cardiff.

Jenny Randerson AM said: “It is clear that if we miss the opportunity to electrify the Valley Lines as part of the process of electrifying the main line, then this could be gone for decades.

“Experts say that once the electrification ‘factory’ is shut down, it is hugely expensive and time consuming to re-start it. Therefore, if we are ever going to see the Valley Lines turned into a speedy, economically beneficial, metro service, then this could be our last chance for quite some time.”