Today in Parliament I called on the Department for Transport and Network Rail to work together to support communities affected by electrification work on the Great Western Rail line.

I said “While I certainly welcome the electrification of the Great Western Mail line – although it should have gone through to Swansea – what work are the department doing with Network Rail to make sure that they work closely with communities like Magor in my constituency, which is right on the line, to ensure that where work does have a big impact on residents they listen, react to problems and compensate accordingly?”

In response, Transport Minister Andrew Jones said he would take the matter up with Network Rail, and agreed on the importance of community engagement by Network Rail along the lines they serve.

Electrification is vital for South Wales, but residents in areas that have been most impacted by the works and physical infrastructure connected to the programme – including parts of Magor – feel that engagement with residents has fallen short of the standards they expect. I’ll continue to work with residents and Network Rail to ensure that they keep local people better informed on what is happening in the area.