I would be impressed if it actually happened. Of course, it doesn't change the fact that they bought brand-new DMUs that they knew would run under wires, and are now having to spend money retrofitting them, when we knew all along straight DMUs was a mistake.
I do agree to a degree, however, with the electrification only extending over a circa 15 mile section of route, not including diesel power would be an even bigger mistake. If the full great Western and valleys electrification had happened to the original plan, announced way back in the early 2010s, which would’ve seen the main line to Swansea, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Apple Vale Valley, the Maesteg, branch, and the whole of the Cardiff Valley is fully electrified. I would agree that electric only or electric with a diesel engine would’ve been the best bet.
If the full great Western and valleys electrification had happened to the original plan, announced way back in the early 2010s, which would’ve seen the main line to Swansea, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Apple Vale Valley, the Maesteg branch, and the whole of the Cardiff Valley is fully electrified. I would agree that electric only or electric with a diesel engine would’ve been the best bet.
I am still not convinced that the 756 units will have enough power or battery life to complete full diagrams to Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan, especially if there is serious destruction. It is such a shame that the valleys electrification is being done on the cheap, as in permanently earth sections, and no wire sections through the difficult areas. Again with nationally critical infrastructure, we are allowing a university to dictate the limit of electrification in the Cathays area significantly reduce The resilience of the train service by introducing additional risks, such as relying on posting and battery power on a very hilly area of railway.
I would like nothing more than to see a proper South Wales Metro, with proper urban and into urban electric units running a high frequency on a fully electrified railway, which really serves the communities of the Welsh valleys. I would like nothing more than to see a proper South Wales Metro, with proper urban and into urban electric units running a high frequency on a fully electrified railway, which really serves the communities of the Welsh valleys. however, what we have is a Frankenstein electrification with unsuitable, toilet plus trams with the vague promise of toilets on most stations, Breaking up the majority of services at Queen Street, forcing passengers to change the stations into Cardiff, Central and towards Barry. war, forcing passengers to change at Cardiff Queen Street will do is force them into their cars, or is this what the Welsh government want when they inevitably introduce Road charging or congestion charging in central Cardiff.
The original budget of £760 million has been overrun by a significant margin, the timescale for the overall project again as overburden by a significant margin, we have millions and billions of pounds worth of high-tech electric trains in store in Worcestershire which cannot be used in any reasonable form for at least two years, in the meantime, passengers are having to endure reduced formations, reduced reliability and overcrowding. TFW, unfortunately, to their credit working incredibly hard to provide the service that they are with the resources that they have, unfortunately the alarm of the Welsh government they stand Strong by political desire and interference, namely the tram train concepts and fantasyland on Street rTFW, unfortunately, to the credit working incredibly hard to provide the service that they are with the resources that they have, unfortunately being a alarm of the Welsh government, they stand strong by political desire and interference, namely the tram train concepts and fantasyland on street running running.
