NEW RAIL SERVICE TO CUT TRAVEL TIME TO LONDON:
A NEW London-bound train service from Cardiff is set to launch this November and it will see passengers arrive in London in just 1 hour and 42 minutes.
The new service, which will initially be at peak times in the morning and evening, has been confirmed by Great Western Railway (GWR) in its new timetable, which goes live on December 15.
The group has called it the biggest timetabling change on the network since 1976, and it is possible as a result of electrification, BusinessLive reports.
The new hourly service will see the journey between Cardiff and Paddington finish 17 minutes quicker than the current fastest option.
The time saving will be achieved partly by only stopping at Bristol Parkway after Newport while en route to London.
This eliminates the train calling at Swindon and Reading.
The new services will leave Swansea at 5:28am and 6:28am with return journey times from Paddington at 4:15pm, 5:15pm and 6:16pm.
The Hitachi-built Intercity Express Trains (IETs), introduced on the south Wales to London Great Western Mainline in 2017, will also see gains as electrification moves further westwards, as well as the benefits of the removal of temporary speed restrictions and signalling investment.
Electrification allows the IETs to accelerate and de-accelerate more quickly.
Although significantly delayed, electrification is expected to reach Cardiff in January next year.
From London, electrification currently extends as far as the Severn Tunnel, with Network Rail planning for it to reach and be operational to Newport by Christmas.
When electrification reaches Cardiff, the hybrid IETs will switch to diesel mode for the onward journey to Swansea, where electrification was originally planned to reach, before being abandoned by the UK Government two years ago on cost grounds.
The new faster at peak services from GWR will be available once an hour throughout the day from May next year.
There will remain two train services an hour from South Wales to Paddington that will stop at Reading and Swindon.
However, the new timetable will shed 14 minutes off their current journey time of 2 hours and 7 minutes.
The current GWR franchise, following an agreed one-year extension with the UK Government, runs until April 2020.
GWR said the new services, coupled with the additional capacity provided by the IETs, will give customers travelling between South Wales and London 15,000 extra seats every weekday from May 2020.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “It’s a little over three months until Sunday December 15, and we have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare to implement the biggest timetable change on this network since 1976, enabling us to take advantage of the full benefits that new Intercity Express Trains are bringing.
“In providing more frequent and quicker journeys, our new timetable will for the vast majority of users quite literally mean ‘all change please’ and we are looking forward to publishing further details soon.”
Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, added that the timetable change would make Cardiff a highly attractive tourist and commuter destination.
He said: “Making these important changes will not only improve crossborder connectivity and deliver a boost to the economy of south Wales but will also provide rail passengers with the high-quality service they deserve.”