Jul 23 2009 by Tomos Livingstone, Western Mail
A MULTI-MILLION pound upgrade of the rail line between London and South Wales [has been] announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The plan to electrify the Great Western line [was] announced as Mr Brown brought his ministerial team to Cardiff in the latest of a series of Cabinet away-days.
The plan will see the line between Paddington and Swansea electrified by 2017, cutting 20 minutes off the existing journey time.
“This is a challenging period, we are taking difficult decisions, we are making tough choices, but these are the right decisions to make us stronger and to build a better Britain equipped best for its future,” said Mr Brown.
Network Rail issued a consultation on electrifying the line in May, and said improving the line all the way to Swansea represented “good value for money”.
The cost of the upgrade – estimated to be at least £600m – would be recouped in lower running costs over the next 60 years, Network Rail said.
The organisation has been pushing for electrification for some time, but financing the project has proved complex. The scheme is expected to be financed by additional borrowing by Network Rail, which has its debts underwritten by the Government.
But with the work set to be completed in stages, it could be a decade before the South Wales section of the line is fully electrified, and passengers are likely to face disruption as the work is carried out.
Iain Coucher, the chief executive of Network Rail, said the announcement was “a good start, but there is much further to go”.
He added: “Network Rail has been pushing for electrification for a long time. Passengers will soon reap the benefits that electrified lines bring – quieter and smoother rides on trains that cause less wear and tear to the track, trains that are more reliable and often faster.
“Also, further electrification will also help open up more diversionary routes so that we can keep people on trains and off buses as we carry out planned rail improvement work.”
Earlier in July, a report from MPs said electrifying the line should be a top Government priority. The Welsh Affairs Select Committee said it would lead to faster journey times.
During the committee’s inquiry Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones denied the Victorian-era Severn Tunnel would prove a stumbling block in any electrification project.
“Network Rail seem to be quite confident on the robustness of the tunnel,” said Mr Jones in March. “I think they say it’s one of their better tunnels...even if the line were electrified it could withstand that sort of investment.”
The plan to electrify the line will be a welcome boost for businesses.
Currently only 40% of the UK rail network is electrified, including most of the South Eastern England region, the main lines from London to Edinburgh and Glasgow and the networks around Liverpool and Glasgow. Electric vehicles on average emit 20% to 30% fewer CO2 emissions than diesel.
The plan comes after decades of arguments over upgrading the line west of London. In the 1980s the construction of the Channel Tunnel was intended to kick-start high-speed “regional Eurostar” services which were never introduced.
In 2001 a study suggested services could run reaching Paddington from Cardiff within 70 minutes, but in the wake of the Hatfield crash the previous year, the industry’s focus was on improving the safety and reliability of existing lines.
The new electrification plan was welcomed by environmental groups. Friends of the Earth Cymru spokesman Gordon James said there would be “multiple benefits”.
“A cleaner and more reliable service, with fewer breakdowns... should encourage more people to use the train instead of the car,” he said.
Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd said: “Electrification would bring great benefits to the Welsh economy and Plaid has been fighting for this development for decades.
“Plaid will continue to campaign to ensure that we are well connected to Europe’s major networks. Electrification of the London to Swansea line would be a major step in the right direction.”
There were also calls last night for other lines in Wales, including the Valley lines and those west of Swansea, to be electrified.
