Train lovers, rejoice – a brand-new train is on the horizon, and it’ll whizz you from London to Wales in a blink.
Grand Union Trains has just announced the new train line that will run between London Paddington and South Wales. It will offer a fast-track service to Bristol Parkway, then stop at a number of stations including Newport, Cardiff Central and Gowerton, ending at Carmarthen.
There are also plans in the works for the train to call at two other stations in South Wales along the way. The first will be just outside Swansea, and called either West Wales Parkway or Swansea North, and the second will be known as Cardiff Parkway and built to the east of Cardiff. Stopping at the new Swansea station instead of Swansea town centre should shave 20 minutes off the journey, Ian Visits reported.
The train line was supposed to get up and running in 2020, but the Office of Rail and Road refused to give permission. In June 2022, Grand Union Trains came back with a new plan for the service, which was accepted. The first trains are set to start running in 2025, and there will be five services a day.
The full list of stops is as follows: Carmarthen, Llanelli, Gowerton, Cardiff Central, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Bristol Parkway and London. And the best part? You’ll be guaranteed a seat, apparently, as long as the journey is longer than 30 minutes. All aboard, folks.