High-speed rail study getting on track (From Western Telegraph)

High-speed rail study getting on track

The potential for a new £200 million railway line which could put parts of the South West and South Wales within just over an hour of London, is to be tested in a new joint study for First Great Western.

The six-month study and consultation will look at Japanese and French style high-speed trains, investigating technology, rolling stock, routes, timetables, feasibility, sustainability issues and economics.

Consultation will include politicians, regional and local authorities, passenger groups and business leaders to identify the services best suited to need.

Dean Finch, managing director of First's rail division, said: "The South West and South Wales have been the Cinderella of rail infrastructure investment for far too long. We want to champion a new generation of sustainable train travel. A new-high-speed rail service could transform these economies, encouraging inward investment, tourism and access to new markets."

The estimated cost of a new high-speed route would be more than £15m a mile, but journeys to London could be reduced to two hours from Swansea and 70 minutes from Cardiff, said First Great Western. However, the time-scale is estimated at about ten years.