'£1 billion to electrify the North Wales Main Line'

MS for North Wales

North Wales received a huge boost last week courtesy of the United Kingdom Government. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced funding of £1 billion to electrify the North Wales Main Line.

This will mean that train journeys are faster, cleaner and greener across North Wales, and links with the North-West of England will be significantly improved, bringing many parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester.

This will make a huge difference to people across our area, and will improve the economy and everyday life. It will also make it easier for tourists to visit and spend money in the region, supporting our communitites. This is a win and a transformational level of investment, no matter how you look at it.

Businesses and transport campaigners have been calling for electrification, and now it is happening. I spoke at a panel event at the Conservative Conference just a couple of days before the announcement where politicians and businesses alike were united on the need for investment like this into North Wales transport. One senior business leader has called it a “once-in-a-generation investment”. That is how big this is.

The money has come from savings made by reducing the HS2 line. It clearly shows the faith that the Conservative Party has in North Wales, and builds on a record of delivery. Now, let’s contrast this to what the Labour-run Cardiff Government is doing for North Wales.

They have frozen roadbuilding and imposed a disastrous and unpopular default 20mph speed limit, which will make life much more difficult for motorists. The Labour-run train service, Transport for Wales, has the worst customer satisfaction rate of any operator across the UK. Throw into that the years of chronic underinvestment in our area from Cardiff Labour, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

If you have any queries or issues, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact me by emailing sam.rowlands@senedd.wales or calling on 0300 200 7267.