Passengers face slower trains from Cardiff to London, minister says

Rail passengers from Cardiff, Bristol and Plymouth face permanently longer journey times into London as a result of track realignment, a UK Government minister has suggested.

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said all Great Western Railway trains could call at Old Oak Common, a new station in West London, in the future, but even if they don’t, passengers face a “small increase in journey times” as a result of the track realignment.

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Unjust

Plaid Cymru MP Ann Davies described the project as “unjust” amid calls to spend billions of pounds on Welsh infrastructure, to make up for HS2 spending in England.

Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley said he feared commuters coming from the South West would become “second class” to HS2 users once Old Oak Common station is complete, linking the two lines in a single interchange.

Speaking in Westminster Hall, Ms Greenwood told MPs: “Old Oak Common station is being built to enable all Great Western Main Line and relief line services to call at the station, and this is important for future-proofing.

“But whilst all trains will be able to call, the future timetable will be under development for many years, so it’s still too early to say with any certainty which trains will call here or from when.”

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Great Western Main Line

The minister added: “Building the station requires a realignment of the Great Western Main Line to curve around new platforms.

“Unfortunately, that means that even trains that do not stop at the station will have a small increase in journey times and I know the rail minister (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) has already asked industry partners to review current plans to ensure the impact of this is minimised.”

If all trains into or out of Paddington called at Old Oak Common, an additional four to seven minutes to journey times has been “suggested”, Ms Greenwood confirmed.

During Tuesday’s debate, Mr Wrigley told the Commons: “Fast trains should not stop at Old Oak Common. In addition, the South West must see benefit, and not just be second class to Midlands traffic.”

He described a potential proposal for all trains to call at Old Oak Common as a “bizarre plan” to halt “in its tracks”, adding: “I do understand the station is being built — it is likely too late to redesign it — however, after a period of six years of construction delay, it’s adding insult to injury to then have a delay of between five to 15 minutes on every train on the GWR network going to London and out.”

The MP for Newton Abbot in Devon urged the minister to consider pressing on with resilience works at Dawlish, where railway tracks line the coast, and electrification to “speed up the line to Penzance” in Cornwall.

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'Robbed'

Ms Davies, the MP for Caerfyrddin, said Wales is “being robbed of £4 billion in consequential funding from HS2”.

She added: “Old Oak Common is yet another example of how unjust the current arrangements are for Wales. The Government must change course and deliver the billions Wales is owed from HS2 and ensure that there is proper mitigation for Welsh passengers due to the disruption at Old Oak Common.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said:"HS2 does not involve a single mile of track in Wales, yet the previous Conservative Government decided to arbitrarily class the project as an 'England and Wales project', a designation which Labour has taken an active political choice to keep despite their own Minister’s in Wales admitting it is deeply unjustified.

"Altogether it seems that despite Labour promising a change in how Wales is treated from when the Conservatives were in power, they have continued with a business as normal approach.

"It is completely inappropriate that my constituents and people across Wales are now expected to deal with worsened services for several years for a project in London that will provide no benefit to them while they continue to be robbed of investment in their own local services.

"This Labour Government must listen to the Welsh people and ensure that this disruption is minimised and that Wales receives its fair share when it comes to rail funding."

Superhub

Once complete, the 14-platform Old Oak Common “transport superhub” will lie on the Great Western and HS2 routes, and the Elizabeth line to central London and Heathrow Airport.

Construction is due to end in 2028, with disruption this winter as services are diverted into London Euston or terminated early at Reading or Ealing Broadway.

Ms Greenwood said: “Old Oak Common station is a crucial enabler for the Government’s growth mission.

“It’s not just a connection to HS2 for Birmingham and the North but will be a destination in its own right, providing access to work and housing development alongside better connections to other services, including the Elizabeth line through central London and to Heathrow Airport.”