Plaid Cymru leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, has today highlighted the party’s pledge to connect Wales with a modern transport system on a visit to Cynon Valley. Mr Jones said that good transport connections are essential for the economy, for society and for the environment of 21st century Wales. He added that people rely on good transport links for work, business and everyday life, in many parts of Wales these links still need to be much better.
The Plaid leader was joined by the party’s Cynon Valley candidate Dr Dafydd Trystan Davies who said that a Plaid government will create a better transport system to get Wales moving – speeding up journeys and providing fast, reliable and affordable ways to travel. Highlighting Plaid Cymru’s campaign for the electrification of the rail lines, Dr Davies said that the journey from Aberdare to Cardiff which currently takes over an hour would be shortened to 45 minutes. Ieuan Wyn Jones and Dafydd Trystan Davies also visited the site of the old station in Hirwaun. They said that Plaid Cymru is keen for work to start on opening the line to Hirwaun and for the possibility for a halt at Trecynon to be investigated.
Plaid Cymru has also said that it will push for control over the funding and responsibilities of Network Rail and of the rail service in Wales to be brought to Wales, with extending electrification to Swansea and the valley lines as a priority in this.
Back in November last year, Plaid Cymru announced its proposals to put the management of Welsh railways in the hands of a ‘not for profit’ company when the current franchise contract with Arriva Trains Wales ends in 2018. Plaid’s leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said that in creating a not-for-profit organisation to run Welsh railways, significantly more money could be made available to invest in services. Mr Jones said that this money could be invested directly to create more frequent services in the South Wales valleys, more frequent journeys to West Wales and on the Cambrian line, as well as additional services between North and South. It would also enable investment in new rolling stock to help keep pace with growing demand.
Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Cynon Valley, Dafydd Trystan Davies, said:
“A Plaid Cymru Government would create a better transport system to get Wales moving, speeding up journeys and giving travellers a faster, more reliable and more affordable service.
“I welcome the plans to electrify the line between Paddington and Cardiff and I am campaigning strongly to electrify the Valleys Line which would breathe new economic life into our communities. It cannot be right that the service between Aberdare and Cardiff is so slow and out-dated. With electrification the journey time would be shortened from over an hour to just 45 minutes. We are also anxious to get on with the job of opening the line to Hirwaun and to investigate the possibility of a halt at Trecynon.”
“Only Plaid has the ambition to deliver the transport system that the people of Wales need and deserve.”
Plaid Cymru leader, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said:
“We all need good transport links for work, business and everyday life but in many areas of Wales these links are not good enough. The rail franchise agreement for Wales needs a complete overhaul and we will push to bring control over that to Wales. We’ll move to electrify more railways across Wales and to improve our bus services. A more connected Wales will help to create a more successful Wales.”
Highlighting Plaid Cymru’s proposals to put the management of Welsh railways in the hands of a ‘not for profit’ company, Mr Jones said:
“At a time of shrinking budgets, we’re focused on getting the best possible value for money out of every penny of public funds. It therefore makes perfect sense that we consider all options for our transport services and how to reinvest public money in building our vision of a modern, efficient Welsh transport system. The not for distributable profit model has great potential for the delivery of rail services. The board could include representation from the Welsh government as well as expertise from the fields of integrated transport, customer service, accessibility, rail projects and finance. Any profit would be invested directly to create more frequent services in the South Wales valleys, more frequent journeys to West Wales and on the Cambrian line, as well as additional services between North and South. It would also enable investment in new rolling stock to help keep pace with growing demand.”
