New campaign as Birmingham is on track for 225mph trains

9:30pm Thursday 11th March 2010

By Jeremy Grimaldi

A PRESSURE group has been set up in a bid to cut Swindon’s train journey time to London to just 35 minutes.

Swindon Council has teamed up with two other authorities to urge the Government to bring out speedier journeys.

The announcement of the formation of the group – which includes Bristol city and Cardiff councils – came yesterday after the Government’s paper on high speed rail was released.

The document unveiled plans for a 225mph British high-speed rail network, including a detailed London-to-Birmingham route that could create more than 10,000 jobs.

The Great Western Partnership, which also includes the South West Regional Development Agency, hopes to extend the highspeed network, which would cut the London journey time to Swindon – now 55 minutes – to around 35 minutes. The time to Bristol would be cut to 60 minutes and, to Cardiff, to 70 minutes.

Coun Peter Greenhalgh, the council’s cabinet member for sustainability, transport and strategic planning, said: “We would urge the Government to consider linking the west to the capital city and allowing those who live outside London to the west to enjoy the benefits of those in the south east.”

A spokesman for the group claimed the high-speed network would build upon the programme of electrification of the Great Western main line from London to Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea between 2016 and 2017, which will improve current journey times but will not see trains achieve 225mph.

The group also believes that cutting journey times will help improve the UK’s economic performance and make a significant contribution to the UK Government’s carbon reduction objectives. It was announced in 2009 that electrification of the Great Western main line will be completed in phases, coinciding with the introduction of a new fleet of electric trains – super express trains – in 2016/2017.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: “High speed rail is a policy of huge strategic significance. The time has come to create a credible plan, and for this to be a national cause.”

Construction on the Birmingham line could start in 2017 with 2027 a likely completion date for the first phase. And the journey time from London to Edinburgh could eventually be cut from four and a half hours to two hours 40 minutes.