Rejected petition Electrification of the rail line between Cardiff and Swansea,
In 2017, the UK Government cancelled electrification for the final leg of the Great Western Main Line, leaving Swansea—the second-largest city in Wales—reliant on diesel-powered "bi-mode" trains. This decision holds back the regional economy, increases carbon emissions, and creates an infrastructure "dead end" west of the capital.
More details
Environmental Responsibility: Electric trains produce 20% to 35% fewer carbon emissions than diesel equivalents. Unlike bi-mode trains, they have zero emissions at the point of use, significantly improving air quality in urban hubs like Swansea and Neath.
Economic Growth: Rail demand between Swansea and London is forecast to increase by 142% over the next 25 years. For too long, the rail network in Wales has been treated as a collection of "branch lines" rather than a vital national asset. While multi-billion pound projects are greenlit elsewhere, Wales has been systematically "starved of investment," leaving our passengers with a 19th-century infrastructure. The "England & Wales" Classification of Major projects like HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail have been classified as "England and Wales" projects despite not having a single inch of track in Wales. This classification allows the UK Treasury to bypass the Barnett Formula, which would otherwise grant Wales billions in consequential funding.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the Senedd or Welsh Government is not responsible for.
Responsibility for this section of track is not devolved.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards
Rejected petitions are published in the language in which they were submitted