Friday 24 May 2019

Coming Soon...In A Country Without An integrated Train System A "Global Centre Of Rail Excellence"


Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Ken Skates is the Welsh Labour government minister for the economy and transport. He's a man who likes to make announcements but the sort of person who once they're analysed are found wanting.

He is the person who thought it was a good idea to have a monument and tourist centre in North Wales celebrating a Welsh defeat. He was also on hand earlier this week talking about a direct Wrexham to Chester railway line. Something as I've explained in an earlier post might eventually lead to anti-English sentiment.

But let's focus on the railways. For a couple days ago he announced that his plans for "a ground-breaking  global centre of rail excellence have taken a huge step forward". This is because the planning application for the area in the Dulais Valley near Neath will be made next year.

And let's pause there.

Wales is a country without an integrated railway line. South Wales is an area without rail electrification west of Swansea. Part of the South Wales Valleys carriages were modelled on sardine cans. My understanding is that the railway system for North Wales is equally full of faults to it's basic structure.

Ken Skates is to his credit is a minister with more front than Barry Island. For how with a straight face he could announce that despite the myriad of problems to it's basic structure Welsh taxpayer money is being pumped into a "Global Centre of Rail Excellence" is beyond me. Indeed "a Global Centre of Rail Excellence". Don't you think that if anyone from [insert country here] read that they'd be laughing their heads off? Who from around the world would want to come and be taught about the railways in a nation that hasn't sorted it's own system out?

And let's not forget Skates is excited because the planning application is set for next year. Who knows when/if it will actually be built.

As for "excellence" how does he know it will be excellent? Is he an expert on the railways? Of course not. He's the Welsh minister for transport.

Welsh people I'm sure would want the money to be invested into their day to day problems with the railways. Not sidetracked into a glorified vanity project.

Indeed "Global Centre of Rail Excellence" smacks very much of Ken Skates and Welsh Labour as a whole. Gloss with no substance. Arrogance with incompetence.

No wonder the tide is turning to Plaid Cymru.

Until the next time.








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