Great Western mainline to be electrified
By Liz Stephens
Gordon Brown announced a £1.1 billion programme today to electrify the UK’s busiest railway track over the next decade.
Electrification will transform the Great Western mainline, reducing carbon emissions and providing faster, more reliable services.
The prime minister made the announcement while travelling on one of the routes due to benefit from the upgrade.
“This is the future. It is green, it is faster and it’s more reliable. This is about making the railways fit for the 21st century,” he said.
Critics have marvelled that the government is able to afford the scheme given its current budget deficit.
However Mr Brown said: “We have set aside money for this. It’s an important priority for us.”
Only about one third of the rail network is currently electrified but the Great Western route from London to Swansea is the last of the major routes to still use diesel trains.
The electrification will also mean the replacement of the much vilified InterCity 125 commuter trains from Oxford to London and should shorted the journey time to Swansea by 20 minutes.
Hywel Francis, chair of the Welsh affairs committee welcomed the plans.
“I repeat my committee’s recommendation that the Department for Transport works closely with the Welsh Assembly government as plans are developed, and I look forward to what should eventually be a significantly better service for passengers travelling between London and Swansea,” he said.
Speaking about the plans, transport secretary Lord Adonis said: “There will be some disruptions while the work is going on but Network Rail plans to keep disruption to a minimum, with much of the work being done overnight.”
Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western, said: “We are really delighted with this news. It’s going to transform our route and provide cleaner and more environmentally friendly travel.”
Network Rail produced a consultation document on electrification earlier this year. The document also made the case for electrifying the Midland mainline route, which Mr Adonis said the government was continuing to consider.
The government is also spending £100 million on electrifying lines between Liverpool and Manchester.
