Great Western mainline to be electrified

Adam Hewitt • Published 23 Jul 2009 10:10 1 Comment

READING is set to benefit from a £1bn electrification of the Great Western mainline.

Transport minister Chris Mole made the announcement at Reading Station this morning, promising "cleaner, greener, smoother travel" with higher capacities and faster running times.

Design work to electrify the lines begins now and is expected to reach Swansea at the far end of the line in eight years. Network Rail promised a minimum of disruption to passengers thanks to an overnight 'factory train' system which will be used to lay piles and install the necessary wiring from a carriage.

It also makes it more likely that Crossrail's western terminus will be extended from Maidenhead to Reading, allowing commuters to get straight from Reading into central London or Essex without changing onto the Tube.

Mr Mole told the Chronicle: "Reading in particular will enjoy the benefits of electrification of the whole line - cleaner, greener travel, and an engine that takes up less space meaning more room for passengers. With any work on this scale people will anticipate that there will be some disruption, but with they way Network Rail are approaching this, there won't be any significant disruption to people's journeys."

He also announced £15m for work on the roads and rail bridges in Reading as part of the wider Station and track redevelopment project.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood, speaking at Reading Station this morning, said the Swansea to London journey time would be cut by 19 minutes on top of the other benefits of electrification, and that negotiations would soon begin with London mayor Boris Johnson on extending Crossrail out to Reading.

Borough transport leader Cllr Tony Page said: "It's fantastic news and underlines the importance of services to and from Reading, and will complement all the work that's already underway redeveloping Reading Station and providing extra capacity."

Reading East MP Rob Wilson welcomed the news, but asked where the money was coming from - cutting other budgets or increasing Government debt.

He said: "After 12 years of Gordon Brown's financial mismanagement, and especially after Lord Mandelson's announced cuts to the transport budget, it is the opposition's job to be suspicious of unfunded promises at the fag-end of a Labour administration that has run out of money."

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• 

  Lawrence
  Unregistered User
  Jul 23, 13:20
  Report comment

  On the subject of Crossrail, it would be much quicker to catch a direct train to Paddington and then change onto Crossrail rather than take a service which stopped at each of the planned Crossrail stations.
  
  If Crossrail doesn't start in Reading then how will one travel from Reading to Maidenhead and the other stations en route.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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