A new report from the Centre Think Tank has thrown its weight behind the long-campaigned-for rail link, arguing that its social benefits would far outweigh the economic costs.
The ‘Getting Wales Back On Track’ report argues that much greater ambition is needed to connect Wales, hitting out at a lack of investment in mid and north Wales.
The report’s author, William Burrows, who holds a master’s in Economics from Swansea University, said Wales has “for too long lacked the transport links needed to grow its economy.”
The Welsh Government has previously conducted a feasibility study on the reinstatement, estimating the cost at £775m. While it found the project was not economically viable, it concluded it would be “socially viable”.
The new report agrees, stating that “the social impact would outweigh the negative economic impacts of the project.”
It argues that reinstating the line would finally link mid and south Wales together, a key piece of infrastructure that has been missing since the original line was closed in the 1960s.
Former First Minister, Lord Carwyn Jones of Penybont, backed the report’s findings in a foreword, noting that during his time in government they had championed the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth railway line.
Lord Jones criticised the historical lack of investment in the Welsh rail network, stating that Wales is the only UK nation with no power to direct Network Rail.
He said the development of the South Wales Metro could be a model for the rest of Wales.
The report also calls for the reopening of Carno Station in Powys and renewed pressure on the UK Government to deliver its long-standing commitment to electrify the North Wales mainline.
However, the proposals have also sparked a political row, with Plaid Cymru’s Transport spokesperson, Peredur Owen Griffiths MS, welcoming the report while slamming the current Welsh Government.
“Wales has been deprived of the funding we deserve for decades,” he said. “From the underfunding of our railways to the unfair Barnett formula – Wales is being ignored, and consecutive UK and Welsh Governments have not been fighting our cause.
“Over their 27 years in power in Wales, Labour have continually allowed Wales to be overlooked and undermined while refusing to stand up to their colleagues in Westminster to demand the funding we deserve – and Wales’ communities are the ones paying the price.”
Mr Griffiths added that the billions owed to Wales from the cancelled HS2 project could prove “transformational” for connecting Welsh communities.
The report’s author, William Burrows, added: “To become a reality, Wales needs fair funding. That means a proper share of HS2 consequentials and a Barnett formula that reflects Wales’s real needs.”
