Tuesday 26 July 2011

YES, NO, MAYBE OR PERHAPS?

Still no firm decision on the much-delayed project to run rail services between Ebbw Vale and Newport at least until the autumn of this year, despite repeated calls from every many ordinary people and elected representatives of every political persuasion (and none).

The much delayed Network Rail feasibility study into the infrastructure needed to launch the service is still in the process of being revised and the current New Labour minister is unlikely to announce his priorities for Welsh transport projects until the autumn.

Jocelyn Davies, one of Plaid's regional AM's for South Wales East is absolutely right the Welsh Government needs to give a clear "yes, we are going to do it’ or ‘no we are not’.

Personally I suspect that the faffing about before the last election was only a reflection of how low Welsh priorities had sunk in the eyes of Network Rail and the Department of Transport before the referendum, which at least gave a measure of further control and some law making powers to the National Assembly.

Now we are in wholly new territory, we are somewhere different, the current delay is down to a combination of the New Labour Government in Cardiff's inability or marked reluctance to make any decision either way.

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