THE Welsh Assembly is lobbying the Government to cut train stops in Swindon to improve rail times between South Wales and London.

They have called for upgrades to the railways and for ministers to have more powers over the network.

The cross-party Enterprise and Learning Committee said more control over railways should be devolved to Cardiff with funding given to the assembly government.

Faster trains to the rest of the UK and Europe are needed to make sure Wales “will not be left on the slow train”.

Cutting out stations such as Swindon and Reading would reduce journey times further, the report says.

Ministers should lobby for a high-speed line from South Wales to London and for North Wales to be directly connected to a proposed high-speed line between London and Scotland, it says.

Journeys from Cardiff to London Paddington usually take two hours and five minutes – 25 minutes longer than they did 20 years ago because of more station stops.

The assembly government is urged to continue to press for the electrification of the railway network. Electrifying the Great Western line, expected to take eight years, would cut 19 minutes off journeys from London to Swansea.

The report says the assembly government, transport groups and Network Rail should work together on ways to improve services, including line upgrades, more fast trains and a limited stop service on alternate hours in peak times.

Committee chairman Gareth Jones said: “The evidence we have gathered indicates that freight and passenger traffic on our network will increase over the coming years.

“It is important that the Welsh government provides for that extra demand and that Wales benefits from high-speed rail links to the rest of the UK and Europe.”

"The Welsh Government also needs to work with partners to improve the rail links and services between North and South Wales and to make stations fully accessible to all passengers."