NO PAIN, NO GAIN
As Wales braces itself for Severn Tunnel closure, business leaders predict ‘it’ll be worth it’
BUSINESS leaders are braced for disruption as they prepare for the closure of the Severn Tunnel, but they have their eyes fixed on the prize of faster rail links once electrification is completed.
The tunnel will be closed from tomorrow until Friday, October 21, and train journeys between South Wales and London Paddington will take around 35 minutes longer.
Flybe will operate special “rescue flights” between Cardiff and London, while an “orange army” of 200 engineers will work day and night on the 130-year-old tunnel.
Robin Craine, director of sales at Chepstow’s St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club, saw the coming six weeks as a price worth paying if it opens up major new opportunities for Wales.
He said: “While there is no doubt the closure will have a detrimental impact on the daily lives and travel plans of the business community and holiday-makers who use our facilities, if the significant long-term benefits the railway electrification promises materialise, then these six weeks’ disruption will pay off. Some of the area’s biggest events, like the 2014 Nato summit in Newport, golf ’s 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and football’s upcoming Champions League final at the Millennium Stadium next year are prestigious tourist attractions and might not have taken place here if it weren’t for the infrastructure we have in place in South Wales.
“The further we can improve on this, the better in terms of future events being held in the area.”
Dan Langford, of recruitment specialists Acorn, also acknowledged the disruption that awaits, but hoped the flights between Cardiff and London will continue once the work on the tunnel is complete.
He said: “It’s certainly not ideal that commuters between London and South Wales will be faced with the disruption to the Severn rail tunnel but clearly it can’t be avoided. However, the opportunity to introduce flights by Flybe between Cardiff and London City airports is hugely exciting and I imagine will be welcomed very much by both business and leisure commuters.
“It will be great if the take-up is positive and these flights remain a permanent option for travel between the two capitals for many years to come.”
Robert Lloyd Griffiths, of the Institute of Directors in Wales, also welcomed the flights and underscored the importance of the nation having the best possible rail links.
He said: “Effective and efficient transport links are crucial for the economy of Wales – anything that adversely affects these hugely important arteries in and out of Wales is off concern – just look at the M4 and the congestion problems associated with it.”
For Liz Maher, president of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, the important thing is that work on electrification is “now well and truly under way”.
She said: “Yes, the closure of the Severn Tunnel to enable work is going to bring disruption to businesses and travellers alike, but the long- term benefits of the project far outout weigh the short-term impact...
“Our message is for businesses to plan their travels ahead and allow plenty of time. More fundamentally, though, businesses should be looking at how they can take advantage of faster rail access to the south of England to open new markets.
“Welsh Government needs to trumpet these infrastructure benefits as well as they showcase Wales overseas as the place to locate and do business” business.”
Cardiff North Conservative MP Craig Williams said: “[It] is important people know the trains are still running. It’s an extra 30 minutes, which is an inconvenience, but it’s not that the trains have stopped.
“Network Rail and Great Western Railway have done a lot of work and I pay tribute to them going out of their way and informing people. It is disruption, but the investment this will give and the new trains are worth it.”