Rail projects in Wales are set to gain from investment, with Network Rail, a company that operates the UK’s railway network, having committed one of the largest rail investments for development of the Welsh railway infrastructure.
The new investment is intended to help the Welsh railway system to carry more passengers and to improve the network’s reliability and time keeping.
Mark Langman, the Network Rail route managing director for Wales, said, ‘This is an exciting time for the railway. We are now carrying a record number of people on record numbers of trains at record levels of reliability. We are also operating a more efficient railway, with the level of public subsidy almost halved from its peak in 2006.
The Wales Route network has a long and proud history, but inherent in its past lie many of the challenges of the future. The plans we have set out will deliver the biggest investment in the Welsh rail network since the Victorian era. Much of our infrastructure still dates from that period and this investment will help bring the network into the 21st century.
Wales relies on rail and our plans outlined in the Strategic Business Plan will deliver a real improvement to passengers with the potential for quicker and more frequent journeys on a network that is more resilient and reliable. Better links to London and improved commuting opportunities around Wales, including to the new enterprise zones, will also help drive economic growth across the country.’
Passenger numbers in Wales have increased considerably in the last 10 years, putting stress on the existing rail infrastructure. The new investment plans to reduce the pressure on the existing rail network, for a better and faster service.
