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| Electrification of Swansea to London trains 'by 2018' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Passengers will benefit from faster train services between Swansea and London by 2018 when work to electrify the line will be completed. | |
| Network Rail says modernising one of the busiest lines into south Wales will cut 20 minutes off the three-hour journey. | Network Rail says modernising one of the busiest lines into south Wales will cut 20 minutes off the three-hour journey. |
| The £350m investment will also see lines from Cardiff to the south Wales valleys electrified. | The £350m investment will also see lines from Cardiff to the south Wales valleys electrified. |
| However those lines may not be ready until about 2020. | |
| The south Wales rail electrification, and the prospect of longer, faster trains, was announced last summer by the Department of Transport. | The south Wales rail electrification, and the prospect of longer, faster trains, was announced last summer by the Department of Transport. |
| But Tuesday sees the first official timetable given by Network Rail which will be building the line. | But Tuesday sees the first official timetable given by Network Rail which will be building the line. |
| The firm says electric trains powered by overhead cables are cheaper to run than diesels because of lower fuel and maintenance costs. | The firm says electric trains powered by overhead cables are cheaper to run than diesels because of lower fuel and maintenance costs. |
| Much of the work is expected to be carried out at night, with a so-called factory train laying a mile of new track and cables every night once construction is underway. | Much of the work is expected to be carried out at night, with a so-called factory train laying a mile of new track and cables every night once construction is underway. |
| Mark Langman, Network Rail route managing director for Wales, said: "The plans we have set out will deliver the biggest investment in the Welsh rail network since the Victorian era. | Mark Langman, Network Rail route managing director for Wales, said: "The plans we have set out will deliver the biggest investment in the Welsh rail network since the Victorian era. |
| Passenger disruption | |
| "Much of our infrastructure still dates from that period and this investment will help bring the network into the 21st Century." | "Much of our infrastructure still dates from that period and this investment will help bring the network into the 21st Century." |
| Mr Langman said the electrification announcement of the Swansea and Valley lines was made back at the beginning of last summer. | |
| He added: "They're commitments of the government and it's all about now the cost of building it and when we'll be building it." | |
| He said passenger disruption when work starts on the lines would be kept to a minimum. | |
| "It's early days in our planning and we're already working on using new innovations to try and keep disruption to passengers to a minimum," Mr Langman said. | |
| "For instance, with the electrification, we've ordered a new machine that actually that works during the night when the trains aren't running." | |
| He said the machine moved slowly at walking pace along the tracks putting the new equipment in the ground. | |
| Last month, Welsh Secretary David Jones said Wales was benefiting directly or indirectly from almost £2bn modernisation. | Last month, Welsh Secretary David Jones said Wales was benefiting directly or indirectly from almost £2bn modernisation. |
| Professor of transport Stuart Cole, from the University of Glamorgan, told BBC Wales the significance of the announcement was the "solid dates" given by Network Rail. | Professor of transport Stuart Cole, from the University of Glamorgan, told BBC Wales the significance of the announcement was the "solid dates" given by Network Rail. |
| He said: "Network Rail is a cautious organisation. It has given a set of dates on which it has done a lot of work and therefore is convinced that these are set of dates which will work." | He said: "Network Rail is a cautious organisation. It has given a set of dates on which it has done a lot of work and therefore is convinced that these are set of dates which will work." |
| He said one of valley lines will have been electrified by 2017, allowing the train operator with the franchise to begin training drivers on the new trains. | He said one of valley lines will have been electrified by 2017, allowing the train operator with the franchise to begin training drivers on the new trains. |
| He added: "All that needs to be done on a gradual basis so that by the date that's set out in the strategic plan, say 2020, all that work will have been completed. | He added: "All that needs to be done on a gradual basis so that by the date that's set out in the strategic plan, say 2020, all that work will have been completed. |
| "I think we can expect to see the first electric trains in the valley lines around 2017." | "I think we can expect to see the first electric trains in the valley lines around 2017." |
| The other significant and new elements in the business plan is a timetable of improvements on signalling between Chester and Llandudno for 2015 and also work signalling between Newport and Shrewsbury. | The other significant and new elements in the business plan is a timetable of improvements on signalling between Chester and Llandudno for 2015 and also work signalling between Newport and Shrewsbury. |
| Network Rail said this signalling work could take 15 minutes off journey times between north and south Wales. |