Train announcement will bring South Wales transport into 21st Century

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Jul 2009

Welcoming the news that the Swansea to London train route will be electrified, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West said:

"This is welcome news for the South Wales area. We are years behind England in our transport infrastructure and this investment will help close the gap and bring us into the 21st Century."

"Electric trains represent better value for money, as well as being better for the environment. The Liberal Democrats have asked been asking for electrification for years and it is good to see that we have been listened to. It is a rare common sense decision from this government."

"We still want to see the entire rail network electrified by 2040, and so the government must now look to the future and start making plans for when other parts of Wales, such as lines to West Wales and the Valleys, will get the improvements that they so drastically need."