Part of 2. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 3 October 2017.
No. What he’s talking about is light rail. It’s a model that’s used for suburban railways and for short journeys. I don’t think a 50-mile journey between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth is best served by a light rail carriage with hard seating, for example, without the kind of facilities you’d expect from a longer distance train. And, of course, with light rail, you end up in a situation where, it’s true, it’s cheaper, because the signal requirements are not the same, for example, but the comfort levels are way, way lower and I don’t think people in the west of our country should have a train service that is far less comfortable than would be expected along an equivalent route in England. If we’re going to move forward—. It’s a significant challenge—I don’t think we can underestimate it—a significant challenge and a significant cost to reinstate the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line, but if it’s going to be done, it’s got to be done properly.