Simon__200 wrote:Zach wrote:Alun Cairns hit the nail on the head this morning when he said Electrification to Swansea would not knock one minute off the journey time.
A complete waste of money unless the line signalling is also up-graded. The Diesel/Electric bi-mode class 800 trains have a top speed of 100 mph when using just the diesel system, speeds that people in Wales can only dream about on their railways.
Surely the problem is that now, because one link in the chain will not be electrified, they have to operate hybrid trains. This means that even on the electrified sections the trains are going to be heavier, slower and more costly to operate. The entire project is a botched job because of stupid penny pinching decisions. Even if they decide to complete the electrification in the future, it'll be too late as they'll have already ordered the trains. It's a farce.
I agree, instead of making public transport viable, yet again they're managing to achieve just the opposite. It's still quicker for me to drive door to door London to Wales than it is via the train, that and the added congestion that removing the bridge fare will bring (not that I might complaining about not paying £6.70 each time) will only make things much worse, before (IF, IF) they ever get better. At this rate it doesn't seem likely.