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Comprehensive Spending Review

I am grateful to the Secretary of State for those comments, but it is not just me, her, or anybody else here who relies on that line and will benefit. It is an opportunity, because 4.5 million people depend on that service, so both the transport and the upgrade are essential. What was exciting about the opportunities that the then Prime Minister announced that day—and I was there when Lord Adonis made some of the announcements—was that we would at last address this issue. I urge the Secretary of State and Transport Ministers: please, please keep to that plan, because we need it. Didcot is a means to an end, but if we want Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Bristol to be really relevant to the future development of the country, we must have electrification. We need to grow and prosper, and it needs to be a line with a future—I think that the future is bright there. We have heard a great deal from the coalition Government about how they are going to bring jobs to difficult places, where jobs have not been available before. Without a modern train system, and without modern forms of transport, we will never achieve that. The whole idea of me—ha, ha!—trying to ride a bike from Swansea to Cardiff does not bear thinking about. We do not need that, and I could not do it anyway—[ Interruption. ] Thank you. We have heard a great deal about the facts and figures; this morning, the Secretary of State mentioned the savings that electrification would bring. They are significant, and we are all waiting for them. Trains are 20% cheaper to ride and 35% cheaper to operate. They travel 40% further, on average, than a diesel train before it needs maintenance. It is not only that; we have the exciting prospect of regenerative brakes, which convert lost heat back into power and energy and make the trains even more efficient. Such benefits are tangible. Not only do they provide cleaner, better, faster trains, but they are good for the environment. The idea of electrification is not a passing fancy or a fad; it is needed. I am glad to hear that the Secretary of State feels that she has been fighting Wales’s corner on this. I urge her to keep up the pressure on our behalf, as we will on this side of the House. We deserve that upgrade and we need it. It will create more opportunities and in particular, as the upgrades come along, I am sure it will create job opportunities. I make no apologies for calling for this expenditure. It is a huge amount of money, and, in difficult times, it may appear unfair. Some may say that we could spend the money in other ways, but even if it is not a cheap option, it is one we cannot afford to miss. The consequences of failing at this point are critical and do not bear thinking about. Swansea is a rail city, first and foremost, with a long association of inter-city services, and services that are provided for people who are going beyond our borders to Ireland, and so on. So, from an Irish and a European point of view, it is important. On Thursday evening, when I catch the 8.15 pm from Paddington, I get home near to midnight. A difference of 20 minutes—wow!—is very tempting, as it is for anybody who commutes along that route. Those cuts to the overall travelling time will benefit us all. I want to see Swansea and west Wales grow and prosper, and I have been pleased to hear today, both inside and outside this room, about the support for the project. I urge everyone to keep up the pressure. In many ways, Swansea should not be the end of the line; it should be a prime and important player in the rail network of Great Britain and a gateway to better services for west Wales.