The UK’s secretary of state for transport, Patrick McLoughlin, visited Bristol Temple Meads station in Bristol, UK, earlier this month, as it is to be part of an electrification project for the Great Western mainline.
Previously, the UK government had announced an investment of £9.4 billion in electrification, and £4 billion in new intercity trains.
The secretary of State said of the visit, ‘We are seeing phenomenal passenger growth in Bristol, where station usage is up 46 percent over the last 10 years, and across the country. This is why this Government is committed to a programme of continued investment in the railways. A huge amount of money is being spent on electrification. Bristol will be one of the first areas in the country where new electric trains – which are faster and more reliable – will be running.’
The work will be carried out by First Great Western, a UK based railway company, in collaboration with the Department for Transport.
Mark Hopwood, the managing director of First Great Western, said, ‘We are delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Transport to this important part of our network.
The Government’s commitment to invest in the rail network and in new trains is an essential piece of the jigsaw in improving passenger journeys across our network.
I’m convinced IEP will deliver another revolution in passenger travel with the prospect of quicker journeys from 2017.’
Recently, the company cancelled the services on part of its network due to flooding. On advice from Network Rail, the company had cancelled certain services at some locations and was running trains at reduced speeds at other locations.
