![[NWR] first electric train to cardiff](https://www.railadvent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NWR-first-electric-train-to-cardiff.jpg)
Rail passengers in South Wales are benefitting this week from the first electric trains to service Cardiff Central following the completion of electrification works on the railway between Cardiff Central and London Paddington.
Electrification between the two capitals now means thousands of extra seats, more frequent services and quicker journeys for passengers.
Over the Christmas and New Year period, engineers worked around the clock to switch on the electricity between St Brides, Newport and west of Cardiff Central station.
After testing, passengers are now benefitting from an average journey time saving of 14 minutes.
What did the officials say?
Mark Langman, Network Rail‘s Managing Director for Wales and Western said:
“I am delighted that services can now run on electricity between Cardiff and London, linking the two capital cities for the very first time via an electric railway.
“This is the culmination of the largest modernisation project on the Great Western railway since it was built in Victorian times, which we have been working on over the last 10 years.
“Train performance has been very good since electric services have been operating, and together with the new timetable, passengers are already reaping the benefits of this huge modernisation.
“I would like to thank passengers and lineside neighbours for their patience over the past decade as we worked to deliver the transformation of this vital railway and am glad that they will benefit from these improvements for years to come.”
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Responses
Diesel running through the Severn tunnel???
For now 🙂
Could Network Rail electrify the last remaining section of the GWML to Swansea and to extend the electrification to Oxford. About time the Class 800s are now running on electric from London Paddington to Cardiff Central. Brilliant.
Why are the electrification gantries on the GWR main line so utterly obscenely ugly ! Also you make no mention of the Severn Tunnel and the wires not being energised.
Because of our ‘not invented here’ mentality which prevented us from just buying an off-the-peg design off the French, who happily operate electric trains at 320 km/h.