So what does Swindon make of the great railway plan?

Chris Mole MP visited Swindon yesterday to officially launch the electrification of the Great Western Mainline, the key London to Wales route.

The upgrade is expected to shave eight minutes off the journey to and from the capital.

But according to Swindon Council’s lead member for transport, high ticket prices on the route could still deter commuters, however fast the service is.

Mr Mole said the work, which will start in 2012 and is due to be completed in 2017, would bring benefits to Swindon commuters, as well as making the line more environmentally friendly.

He said: “I think rail users in Swindon will welcome the introduction of electrification. The trains are lighter and so can accelerate more quickly.

“This will mean faster journeys for people travelling from Swindon to London and Swansea.

“They will also find that there will be more space so more people will be able to sit down.”

Mr Mole said it was too early to predict what the effect on ticket prices would be but said that in the short term fares were likely to fall.

He said: “60 per cent of ticket prices are regulated by a formula which limits increases to one per cent above inflation. In the current economic situation it is likely that we will see ticket prices falling in January 2010.”

Mr Mole also assured passengers that every effort would be made to minimise disruption caused by the electrification work.

Network Rail hopes to do most of the work in eight-hour periods during the night, using a 450m factory train to hang wires and install pylons.

“We will be working closely with Network Rail and we are confident that using this new technology we can avoid disruption to passengers as much as possible,” said Mr Mole.

He went on to say that the upgrade was the most sensible way to meet consumer demands, as buying more diesel trains would be more costly, damaging to the environment and give a poorer service to passengers.

An electric train typically emits between 20 per cent and 35 per cent less carbon per passenger mile than its diesel equivalent.

South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove travelled along the route to a cabinet meeting in Cardiff yesterday.

She said: “The electrification of the Great Western Main Line will mean the journey to London, Bristol and Cardiff will be quicker and more comfortable which is great news for passengers and Swindon’s economy. I look forward to the work beginning very soon and I hope that any disruption is minimal.”

Coun Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon Council’s lead member for transport also supported the scheme.

He said: “I think the idea is excellent. It’s a shame that at the same time they didn’t consider the price of tickets between Swindon and London, which is one of the most expensive in the country. That in itself could be a barrier to people in Swindon using the train, whatever improvements are made.”London and Swansea.

“They will also find that there will be more space so more people will be able to sit down.”

Mr Mole said it was too early to predict what the effect on ticket prices would be but said that in the short term fares were likely to fall.

He said: “Sixty per cent of ticket prices are regulated by a formula which limits increases to one per cent above inflation. In the current economic situation it is likely that we will see ticket prices falling in January 2010.”

Mr Mole also assured passengers that every effort would be made to minimise disruption caused by the electrification work.

Network Rail hopes to do most of the work in eight-hour periods during the night, using a factory train to hang wires and install pylons.

“We will be working closely with Network Rail and we are confident that using this new technology we can avoid disruption to passengers as much as possible,” said Mr Mole.

He went on to say that the upgrade was the most sensible way to meet consumer demands, as buying more diesel trains would be more costly, damaging to the environment and give a poorer service to passengers.

An electric train typically emits between 20 per cent and 35 per cent less carbon per passenger mile than its diesel equivalent.

South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove travelled along the route to a cabinet meeting in Cardiff yesterday.

She said: “The electrification of the Great Western Main Line will mean the journey to London, Bristol and Cardiff will be quicker and more comfortable which is great news for passengers and Swindon’s economy. I look forward to the work beginning very soon and I hope that any disruption is minimal.”

Coun Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon Council’s lead member for transport, also supported the scheme.

He said: “I think the idea is excellent. It’s a shame that at the same time they didn’t consider the price of tickets between Swindon and London, which is one of the most expensive in the country.

“That in itself could be a barrier to people in Swindon using the train, whatever improvements are made.”

* The electrification plans have also been backed by unions and passenger watchdogs. But there are still concerns that short-term damage could be done to the job market as manufacturing of diesel trains dries up.

Independent rail passenger watchdog, Passenger Focus, also welcomed the news, saying that it would improve services.

What the commuters think...
IT’S 8.30am on a Thursday morning and Swindon Station is buzzing with bleary-eyed commuters setting out for the daily descent to the capital.

Passengers juggle coffee, conference calls and over-flowing briefcases as they hurry to reach their trains in time.

Seemingly immune to the soundtrack of monotonous announcements and screeching brakes, those commuters waiting for the 8.41am to Paddington were happy to share their views on the £1bn scheme with the Adver.

Support for a more environmentally friendly service was widespread but with it came concerns over long delays and soaring fare prices.

The words of comfort from transport minister, Chris Mole, did little to dispel their fears.

“Of course the tickets prices will go up,” said Jan Wilmott, a management consultant from Nythe. “They are a profit-making organisation and that is their aim. That’s what you get when you privatise a service like this.

“The real worry is disruption – not just during the week but at weekends. That’s where you will have the real problems because the commuters will forgive anything – they have no choice. But if it is affecting the leisure trade as well then you could have a problem.”

Steve Blackwater, a 50-year-old consultant from Old Town, agreed. “Maybe ticket prices will go down but that probably means we’ll be hit even harder further down the line, “ he said.

“All it will mean is more delays and more cancellations. With that in mind 10 minutes off the journey doesn’t seem like much of a reward.”

Commuters are entitled to expect a good service with some, like Old Town resident Dave Sims, paying more than £7,000 a year in rail services.

The 47-year-old civil servant said: “If it improves the journey times then I suppose it is a good thing but no doubt it will drive up prices.

“I am generally happy with the service – the only thing I would like to see would be more trains in the evening.”

Chloe Welsh, a 34-year-old architect from Abbey Meads, was in support of the project.

She said: “We have to look at ways to make travel greener and we have to make improvements to the railways to get people out of their cars. I want to see more details of what they are going to do but it seems like a good idea to me.”