Train line to Swansea set to be electrified by 2018
RAIL electrification to Swansea is set to be complete by 2018.
Network Rail said the modernisation would cut 20 minutes off the journey time from London.
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The £350million investment will also see lines from Cardiff to the South Wales valleys electrified. However, that part of the project is not set to be completed until 2020.
In 2011 the UK Government announced it would only electrify the Great Western Mainline as far as Cardiff.
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However, after a long and hard fought campaign, the decision was reversed last year.
Geraint Davies, Swansea West MP, campaigned for the electrification to the city.
He said: "It's fantastic news it will be ready for 2018. This will really help inward investment.
"It will also help with city region status as the whole of Swansea Bay came together to campaign for rail electrification all the way to Swansea."
And Bruce Roberts, secretary of Swansea Business Club, said: "We're very pleased to learn of the target dates for the electrification of the London-Swansea main line."
Mark Langman, Network Rail route managing director for Wales, said: "The plans we have set out will deliver the biggest investment in the Welsh rail network since the Victorian era.
"It's early days in our planning and we're already working on using new innovations to try and keep disruption to passengers to a minimum.
"For instance, with the electrification, we've ordered a new machine that actually that works during the night when the trains aren't running."
Comments
by SAswan
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 6:56PM
“save 20 mins one way, that's 40 mins on a return, then link up with crossrail to get across london quicker. heathrow spur with direct trains between south wales and heathrow which will be good for business, tourism and overseas students. modern trains which will be more reliable and greener. put wales railways on a par with england and the rest of europe. investment into wales and investment into a railway that can be used for decades to come.”
by pyreneo04
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 4:49PM
“"You could take 20 minutes of the journey time for some of the trains now, why do all Swansea trains stop at EVERY station to London except one or two which do not stop at Didcot."
To allow people to board and alight.”
by westcoastswan
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 1:26PM
“the sooner this great western route gets modernised the better as it's already on it's knees with ancient carriages, tracks blocked by landslides and signals that breakdown.”
by arnoldlane
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 11:57AM
“You could take 20 minutes of the journey time for some of the trains now, why do all Swansea trains stop at EVERY station to London except one or two which do not stop at Didcot.”