Six Conservatives, who represented North Wales as Members of Parliament until the General Election, have strongly condemned suggestions that the upgrade and electrification of the North Wales Coast Mainline (NWCML), from Crewe and Warrington to Holyhead, may be scrapped by the new Labour UK Government.
Last October, a minimum of £1bn was committed by the former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to upgrade rail infrastructure in the region. This followed a sustained campaign by the former MPs and its funding was made possible by a reallocation of monies previously destined for the Birmingham to Manchester stretch of HS2.
Electrification of the NWCML has also been the long-term objective of Growth Track 360, the Mersey Dee North Wales Rail Taskforce, recognising that the region's infrastructure needs have been overlooked for too long.
The Conservative Government's commitment meant that a project which Network Rail had not previously prioritised, and so had not yet been subject to detailed feasibility works, was set to move towards delivery later this decade.
A few months before the General Election was called, the then Secretary of State for Transport met businesses and cross border stakeholders in Llandudno Junction to discuss the delivery of this major upgrade and the huge benefits it could deliver. These include quicker and more reliable connections, bringing economic and social benefits to North Wales and helping the Levelling Up of communities in the region. The upgrade would also be instrumental in binding the country together and in decarbonising the network.
These benefits were some of the findings contained within Lord Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review, commissioned by the Conservative Government at the time and published at the end of 2021. Lord Hendy is now Rail Minister under the new UK Labour Government.
The former MPs said:
“We are very concerned to read comments from the new Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, indicating that the future of this vital strategic rail investment is in doubt. If true, this will dismay very many, and confirm once again that Labour’s priority is never North Wales.
“Infrastructure investment in our region is vital for its future economic growth and prosperity, and had those of us seeking re-election considered it a key priority to see through the delivery of this pledge. It was always the case that electrification of the North Wales line was going to take time to deliver. There is much feasibility work that needs to be undertaken and this does not require immediate upfront provision of significant sums of money. While £1bn+ will be required for implementation later this decade, that is nothing less than the region deserves.
“This is a matter of political priorities. We strongly urge the new Labour Government not to betray the people of North Wales.”
Sarah Atherton
Simon Baynes
Virginia Crosbie
Dr James Davies
David Jones
Robin Millar
