This scoping research examines the potential impact of electrification of the Valleys railway lines on access to employment opportunities.
This is the latest release
The Valley Line Electrification strategy is thought to offer economic benefits. One such benefit hopes that electrification will reduce the barriers to employment experienced by the economically inactive. Social surveys suggest that many of the economically inactive living in the Valleys are prepared to commute to work. While the increased speeds offered by electrification will widen the commuting radii for those willing to travel over 11 minutes, adding an additional stop, this study found that any such benefits were potentially negated by the costs of travel.