Railway experts have claimed that electrification on the Great Western Mainline may be delayed for two years.
If they’re right, it means that wires on the newly electrified railway might not be seen at Swansea until 2020.
It has already been suggested by ministers that work on the track may be delayed, but as of yet no clear date for when work may be completed has been provided. The line to Swansea is currently planned to be completed by 2018.
'Two years late is the word on the vine'
But an article in Modern Railways says that, given the challenge of electrifying the Severn Tunnel, the “Cardiff route has been put in the queue behind Bristol; two years late is the word on the vine.”
Related:Will rail electrification reach Swansea by the planned target date of 2018?
The magazine predicts that the work needed to put the necessary electric rails into the tunnel would require a “six-week blockade”.
“The potential embarrassment of new trains standing idle for want of wires looms,” the magazine says, reflecting on the new trains from Japanese manufacturer Hitachi that have been ordered.
The budget for the whole project is now thought to have risen from £1.2bn to £1.8bn.
Railway campaigning group Railfuture’s deputy director of policy Norman Bradbury said: “We are very much in the dark. All we can do at the moment is see what happens.
“Network Rail made the assumption that they could do this work very quickly by using a new idea – an electrification factory train.
“It would be very long and it could have all sorts of equipment on it. It’s taken them months and months to get this train to work properly. It is underperforming.”
Related:Transport Secretary insists electrification of Great Western line is his 'top priority'
'The public need answers'
Claire Perry, a UK Government transport minister, told Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales Central Eluned Parrott that the new chairman of Network Rail Peter Hendy is due to report back on proposals to replan the enhancement programme in the autumn.
Ms Parrott said: “The public need answers. We have been repeatedly told that electrification to Cardiff will be completed by 2017 and Swansea by 2018. It is now looking quite clear that this project will overrun meaning that public services will suffer.
“This project is not only key to improving the economy of South Wales, but also to improving people’s regular commutes between South Wales and the South East
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We expect the UK Government to honour its commitment to delivering electrification of the London to Swansea mainline on time. The Prime Minister recently repeated this commitment on the floor of the House of Commons, so we certainly would not anticipate a problem.”
A Network Rail spokeswoman said the information had not come from them.
She added: “Work is progressing well and we continue to work on the best and most efficient ways of delivering the project.”
A UK Department for Transport spokesperson said: “As the Secretary of State has made clear, Great Western electrification is our top priority and we are committed to delivering it as soon as possible.
“The first Intercity Express trains remain on target to be introduced on the line from 2017, bringing vital benefits to passengers in Wales including increased capacity and faster journey times.”
