THE TRANSPORT group SEWTA (South East Wales Transport Alliance ) is again pressing the UK Government to invest in the rail electrification of South Wales by promoting the business case to include the Valley’s network.

The proposals would include the electrification of the Valley Lines network around Cardiff including the line to Ebbw Vale.

The total cost is expected to exceed £300m, which would need to be financed by the UK Government, and with the deadline for setting investment priorities at the end of July this year, Sewta is redoubling its efforts to win the argument and the cash. The Sewta Board has confirmed that electrification is critical to the delivery of the Regional Rail Strategy.

Speaking after Sewta representatives had attended a meeting of the Cross Party Rail Group in the Senedd, Andrew Morgan, the Chairman of Sewta, said: "Sewta’s policy supporting electrification is underpinned by comprehensive studies that have shown the wide environmental and economic benefits of an electrified railway. Electrification has a strong fit with the Regional Transport Plan. The more work the Sewta Rail Group undertakes, the more compelling the argument for electrifying the Valleys network becomes."

The importance of rail transport to the area is illustrated by the success of the Ebbw Valley Line- over 180,000 trips are made on it to Cardiff central station every year.

The Argus has campaigned for over a decade for it to be linked to Newport.

Sewta (the South East Wales Transport Alliance) co-ordinates transport strategy, plans and programmes for the ten local councils of South East Wales. The Sewta Board has been at the forefront of the campaign to persuade the UK Government to support the Welsh Government’s proposals for electrification of the South Wales rail network.

A report commissioned by the Department of Transport last year showed that from 2008 to 2009, 1,754 trips were made on the line from Rogerstone station alone.