‘Second-best solution’ or benefit past Swansea?
USING bi-mode trains to Swansea is a “second-best solution”, according to Welsh politicians.
In a Parliamentary debate on transport infrastructure on September 6, Stephen Crabb (Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire), told MPs: “It is true that the bi-mode trains are good, but they are a second-best solution.”
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns claimed in the same debate that the introduction of Intercity Express Programme trains will offer 15 minutes journey savings to Swansea when the upgrade, including electrification to Cardiff, is completed. He added: “There would be no time saving - in fact, there would be significant disruption to Swansea - if we continued with the electric-only model.”
When IEP trains were ordered, the original intention was for Great Western Railway to use 36 five-car bi-mode trains and 21 nine-car electric multiple units. However, the latter are now being delivered as bi-mode trains due to late delivery of the electrification. On July 20, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling confirmed that the planned electrification west of Cardiff would now not happen.
Cairns also hinted in a response to Christina Rees (Labour/Co-op, Neath) that bi-mode trains could even run beyond Swansea. She had questioned if Government can be trusted to deliver wires to Cardiff, and Cairns replied: “The bi-modal trains will affect service times and when the project is completed it will be of major benefit not only to Cardiff, but to Swansea.
“The major advantage of the bi-modal trains means that we can take the latest rolling stock further in west Wales, whereas the electric- only project would have meant that any benefits stopped in Swansea.”
He had earlier suggested that there is the opportunity to explore opportunities for new stations to improve access to Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and “other places”, and that these “could well deliver bi-modal trains on a regular basis to parts of Wales that do not access fast trains at the moment”.
GWR will start running bi-mode Class 800/0s to Wales from October, while Arriva Trains Wales will start using five bi-mode Class 769 Flex units from next year.