Welsh Secretary: electrification would bring considerable benefits to North Wales
The Welsh Secretary will visit Llandudno today to discuss the possibilities for the electrification of the North Wales Railway Line.
This Government remains committed to progressive electrification of the rail network and I have made clear that North Wales is top of my list of priorities for the next investment period.
There is no doubt in my mind that the benefits electrification would bring to North Wales are considerable.
I have already met and had positive discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin and Welsh Government Ministers, National Rail and Local Authority leaders and businesses, and I hope that today's meeting will be the start of a process that will lead to a successful outcome.
– David Jones, Welsh Secretary of StateWe will not achieve results overnight - the next rail investment period is still some years away - but we must start now to ensure the business case meets the same rigorous standards of the South Wales case, and to ensure that North Wales is able to put forward the economic advantages that such an investment would undoubtedly bring.
This is an ambition I share with local authority leaders and Welsh Government ministers, and this is an area in which I hope we can work together to deliver for Wales.
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