Gordon Brown promises us trains fit for the 21st century (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Gordon Brown promises us trains fit for the 21st century
8:47am Thursday 23rd July 2009 in
GORDON Brown today promised us a railway fit for the 21st century as he announced a £1.1bn electrification scheme which will transform the service between London and Swansea.
The Prime Minister, travelling by train from London Paddington to Cardiff, announced the scheme today, which will also see £100m being spent on electrifying lines between Liverpool and Manchester.
Mr Brown said: "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."
Only about one third of the rail network is electrified at the moment, with the Great Western route - which includes the Swindon area - the last of the major routes to be still predominantly using diesel trains. Electrification will shorten the London to Swansea journey time - currently just over three hours - by about 20 minutes.
The scheme will include the lines to Oxford and to Newbury in Berkshire and will also make possible the direct replacement of the ageing InterCity 125 fleet by electric Super Express trains.
Travelling with Mr Brown today was Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, who said: "There will be some disruptions while the work is going on but Network Rail plan 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."
What do you think of the scheme? Are you worried it will force up rail fares? Have your say below...
Comments(15)
Mr Blackwell
says...
9:09am Thu 23 Jul 09
Looking forward to seeing your Labour candidate lose the previously safe Labour seat in Norwich later today though.
scottyincs
says...
9:31am Thu 23 Jul 09
1. Eight years of disruption.
2. No new trains in that time, as they would be useless once the line is electrified.
3. Sounds like the Temple Meads and Cheltenham lines aren't included, so the super fast electric trains could still be held up by the diesels on those services.
4. Having lived near the west coast line, there can be a tendency for services to be disrupted when bad weather like snow affects the overhead lines
Al Smith
says...
9:41am Thu 23 Jul 09
Bristol Temple Meads will be done, as the whole Great Western Main Line (which runs from Paddington to Temple Meads) is being done as well as well as the South Wales Main Line (that runs from Wootton Bassett to Swansea).
However it looks like the Golden Valley line isn't so they'll either run diesels from London to Cheltenham or it's 'change at Swindon for Golden Valley line services to Gloucester and Cheltenham'.
who dat?
says...
10:40am Thu 23 Jul 09
AVELLERS, YUMAN RIGHTS, PRISONS ETC - FAT CHANCE!
who dat?
says...
10:46am Thu 23 Jul 09
1, How many years delay?
2, How many billions over budget?
mr_fix_it
says...
11:00am Thu 23 Jul 09
Jo-Ent
says...
11:53am Thu 23 Jul 09
Dommo
says...
12:08pm Thu 23 Jul 09
kev the rev
says...
12:32pm Thu 23 Jul 09
And the new trains will be able to operate on both diesel and electric power, so the direct trains to Cheltenham will switch to diesel power at Swindon - so not always a need to change trains here.
swindonistani
says...
12:41pm Thu 23 Jul 09
kev the rev wrote:someone is reading between the lines, congratulation to you
As with the transition from steam to diesel, we are decades behind our European neighbours in making this long-overdue move. And the new trains will be able to operate on both diesel and electric power, so the direct trains to Cheltenham will switch to diesel power at Swindon - so not always a need to change trains here.
yes, at term Swindon station will be disbanded in order to offer a more direct and quicker route to and from London (2012 being very close)
Swindon will become a secondary station, and how do I know that?
Ok let me tell you a secret: I heard it at Network Rails.
Don't believe me?
wait 2012: new time tables!
DrGonzo-09
says...
12:44pm Thu 23 Jul 09
Dibbs
says...
2:43pm Thu 23 Jul 09
swindonistani
says...
3:10pm Thu 23 Jul 09
Dibbs wrote:even better, bring them home after the next general election
Don't worry about the railway spend the money on giving our troops a fighting chance!!
forcryingoutloud
says...
4:06pm Thu 23 Jul 09
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swindonistani says...
8:50am Thu 23 Jul 09
I do not expected people getting off the train to visit thats for sure, one look at the Station/signal point and they will very nicely stay on the train ready for the next destination: Reading or Bristol
It is even possible that trains wont even stop in swindon anymore