As anyone who’s ridden the direct line between London and Carmarthen, South Wales, will no doubt already know, it can be a pretty slow and unreliable ride. Often requiring a change at Cardiff, the route covers just over 200 miles in between three-and-a-half and four hours.
But that could all soon be about to change. Grand Union Trains has submitted a bid to set up a rival train service between London and Cardiff, with the hope that the line could be extended to Carmarthen. Grand Union says that the new route would slash journey times and provide greater choice for passengers travelling between London and South Wales.
So how exactly would this new route be any faster? Well, currently most trains from London to South Wales have to pass through Swansea, forcing them to slow or stop as they pass through the city. Grand Union has proposed building of a new station at Felindre, a town north of Swansea, which trains can call at (and therefore bypass congestion). If approved, this would cut journey times by about 20 minutes.
Should Grand Union’s bid be accepted, the rail provider intends to have the route between Cardiff Central and London Paddington (via Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway) running by May 2023. The extension to Llanelli and Carmarthen, meanwhile, is scheduled for 2025.
To find out more about the prospective line, check out the official website here.
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