London and South Wales took became ‘better connected’ earlier this month, when Network Rail completed the electrification of the Severn Tunnel.
At 134 years old and four miles long, the tunnel has over 14 million gallons of water pumped out of it every day to stop it flooding, so it is a challenging environment for an electric railway. Sudbrook pumping station is also set to be renewed.
Mark Langman, Network Rail’s managing director for Wales and Western, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Severn Tunnel is now fully electrified, resulting in a seamless rail link for passengers between Cardiff and London Paddington.
“Electrification has reduced journey times between South Wales and London by as much as 15min and provided 15,000 more week-day seats than a year ago.
“It has been a hugely complex task to electrify the tunnel, but I’m thrilled that the final piece of the puzzle is now complete.”
Simon Hart, the Secretary of State for Wales, said: “It is crucial that Wales has cutting-edge transport links to help people travel to work, encourage inward investment and better connect it to the rest of the UK in order to boost prosperity.
“As we seek to grow our economy once again, I look forward to continued collaboration with Network Rail to improve connections, cut journey times and create world-class transport infrastructure in Wales.”