Wiltshire rail users to get big boost
7:00am Monday 14th March 2011 in News By Joe Ware
Train campaigners have welcomed plans to electrify the Great Western Main Line which will see improvements for rail users in North Wiltshire.
The move could cut journey times between Chippenham and London to under an hour.
Roger Newman from the West Wiltshire Rail Users Group said the move to electrification would bring benefits.
He said: “The trains are environmentally cleaner and journey times will be faster because of improved acceleration and deceleration compared to diesel trains.
“The electrification will also relieve around 16 or 17 diesel units currently serving the suburban services out of Paddington.
“With a bit of luck there is a possibility some of these trains could come to the Bristol and Wiltshire area which would be a positive byproduct.”
Chippenham MP Duncan Hames was also please and said: “Better diesel trains such as the Thames Turbos will be relocated to other areas.
“Once electrification reaches Chippenham and Bristol we will enjoy the benefits of faster, lighter trains, that cause less damage to the track and can go further before needing repair.
Ashwin Kumar, rail director of pressure group Passenger Focus, said passengers using services between London and Cardiff would benefit from improved reliability, shorter journey times and reduced costs.
He said many trains on the line were 30 years old and needed to be replaced.
* The company that runs Chippenham Station car park has ditched the RingGo cashless payment system to make way for its own scheme.
APCOA is bringing in a new system called Connect after claiming that RingGo has increased call charges.
This has been refuted by RingGo.
