03/03/2017 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today.

Our headlines tonight: How not to run a major project.

MPs criticise the electrification of the London to Swansea rail line.

And Paddy Dear was disorientated by septecemia when he was found dead

on a school trip in Pembrokeshire.

Good evening.

The electrification of the Great Western Mainline,

which promises faster train journeys between London and South Wales, has

been described as "a stark example of how not to run a project".

The Commons' Public Accounts Committee has found the cost

could be ?1 billion higher than expected and some

of the work could be delayed.

Network Rail says it has learnt lessons and is making progress.

Jordan Davies reports.

Will this arrive on time and on budget?

Work is underway as we speak to electrify

the Great Western Mainline.

Faster, greener trains between London and Cardiff by 2019.

And Swansea up to five years later.

But now a group of MPs responsible for scrutinising public money has

criticised Network Rail's delivery of the project.

The project has overrun by ?1.2 billion, which is really

concerning for taxpayers.

We have also discovered in the report that ?330 million

is being spent just to keep the trains on the line while

electrification is taking place.

At the same time in Wales, not a single track has been electrified.

Electrification is part of the Welsh Government's vision

for the future of public transport in south east Wales.

It says the UK Government needs to get a grip of this situation

and is calling for power over rail infrastructure to be devolved.

Passengers in Cardiff today voiced their concerns.

I think it's terrible, being delayed.

It should be a lot quicker.

Technology and everything these days.

It would be great if the trains were faster.

It's unfortunate if there was a delay because I know commuting

from Cardiff to London is quite time-consuming.

The Severn Tunnel has had a facelift ahead of electrification.

The Chief Executive of Network Rail says the Great Western scheme

was agreed long before the scale of the work was understood.

And they've now changed the way they approach major projects.

The UK Government says it's overhauled the way it

oversees their work.

The company says it's committed to the project.

But last year we asked the Chairman of Network Rail

whether he could guarantee the line would reach Swansea.

It certainly won't be done this side of March 2019,

which is when the five-year funding period for the railway

goes up until.

Beyond that, it is a matter for the Welsh Government,

the national government, but the trains will be there.

People's experience will be transformed by those trains,

whether the wires are up west of Cardiff or not.

Millions of pounds has already been spent on preparing

these lines and stations, like this in Cardiff,

for electrification.

The Severn Tunnel was closed, delaying thousands of commuter

journeys, so it could be upgraded.

Now there's doubt from MPs whether this upgrade

was needed in the first place and when it'll be finished.

The family of a teenager who died on a school trip in Pembrokeshire

is urging others to learn about the illness that

led to his death.

Paddy Dear's inquest in Milford Haven heard

he had developed sepsis, which may have left him confused,

before he was found at the bottom of cliffs.

David Grundy reports.

A bright young rugby mad teenager.

Paddy Dear from Hornchurch east of London had his

whole life ahead of him.

But his life was ended tragically early a year ago

on a school trip to West Wales.

Paddy Dear and his school friends were here at Dale Fort last March

on a geography field trip.

He left one of the classrooms to go to the toilet but never returned.

The septicaemia had set in, causing confusion and disorientation

and his body was found hours later 150 feet down at the

bottom of these cliffs.

Dale Fort was built in the mid-19th century to protect Milford Haven

but it has been used as a base for school field trips since the end

of the Second World War.

The manager told the inquest students are warned

of the danger of the cliffs.

Paddy had acute tonsillitis and developed sepsis or blood

poisoning, which may have caused confusion and disorientation.

The Pembrokeshire coroner recorded a narrative conclusion,

noting Paddy died of injuries after falling from heights

while suffering from septicaemia.

His family are now campaigning to raise awareness of sepsis.

We have seen in the last year that the profile of the condition

has gone up immeasurably.

And I suppose if we can take some pride in that Paddy's name has

helped in raising the profile of sepsis so that we can lower that

figure of 44,000 deaths a year.

These symptoms can command within hours, sometimes

even within minutes.

The symptoms the patient can experience is confusion,

high temperature.

It is a long journey home to Hornchurch but today's inquest

is another step in the long grieving process for Paddy Dear's family.

They are hoping his legacy can live on and no other families have to go

through what they have.

South African police investigating the deaths of a couple originally

from the Cynon Valley have made an arrest.

It's believed Roger and Christine Solik,

originally from Abercynon, were killed in an armed robbery

at their farm last month.

The family of a woman killed after a multi-vehicle

crash in Abergele has described her as generous,

kind and proud.

69-year-old Hilda Blythin died in the incident yesterday

involving a lorry and two cars.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Plaid Cymru's leader Leanne Wood has highlighted inequality and a system

she claims is redistributing wealth in the wrong way.

Speaking at her party's Spring conference in Newport, she also

spoke about Brexit and immigration.

We cannot and we will not support any deal which makes it harder

to recruit those skilled workers that we need.

I reiterate to those people who want to come

to Wales to work as doctors, as nurses, as engineers,

you are welcome here.

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Neil McEvoy has been

suspended from his position as a councillor in Cardiff for one

month after a tribunal found a comment he made amounted

to "bullying behaviour".

Mr McEvoy was found to have breached Cardiff Council's code of conduct,

but he did not bring the council into disrepute.

His party will decide whether to take action next week.

Mr McEvoy described the proceedings a "farce".

Tributes were paid tonight to Wales rugby international

Elli Norkett who died in a car crash last weekend.

Flowers were laid in her memory by players from

the team she played for, Cardiff Metropolitan University,

before their match at the Arms Park.

In the Pro 12, the Ospreys are top of the table

tonight after a hard-fought win in Edinburgh.

Wales fly-half Sam Davies set-up the only try

for Josh Matavesi in the first half.

The Ospreys eventually ran out winners by 13-9.

Let's see what the weekend weather has in store.

Sue Charles has tonight's forecast.

Good evening.

It's looking unsettled over the weekend with rain at times.

Saturday looks like the better day with some brighter spells.

Some showers as well.

But heavy rain is likely on Sunday.

Tonight, the low pressure which brought today's

rain moves northwards, allowing some drier spells

for a time into tomorrow.

So overnight, rain continues on and off, moving northwards.

Slowly easing but remaining blustery, misty and murky overnight.

Cloudy but not as cold as recent nights at 5C to 7C.

Tomorrow could be a grey start with a few lingering showers

but generally drier than today.

Across the UK that front continues to move north eastwards bringing wet

and windy weather at times.

Wintry in the Highlands, turning drier further south

with some brightness.

But also a few showers and remaining quite blustery.

Coldest in north-east Scotland at 5C, 12C in south-east England.

In Wales the best of any brightness in the East

but a scattering of showers, probably heaviest in the West.

A brisk westerly wind and highs of 7C in Gwynedd,

10C in Monmouthshire.

This changeable Atlantic influence continues through the weekend.

This frontal wave developing early on Sunday could bring some heavy

rain, so a few showers on and off tomorrow night.

Dry spells for a time and then by the early hours of Sunday that

front starts to arrive in the south-west.

Overnight lows of 2C to 6C.

Sunday might start dry in the north-east but that band

of heavy rain pushing in from the south-west

during the morning.

Fresh westerly winds.

Some dry spells for a time before another band of heavy rain arrives

later from the south-west.

So an unsettled weekend.

Some dry spells, more so Saturday.

Rain at times, heaviest on Sunday.

Breezy and changeable for the start of next week.

That's Wales Today. Have a great weekend.

From all of us on the programme, good night.

Ten different noses, ten different selfies. How cool is that?

Ten different noses, ten different selfies. How cool is that?