Swindon & Wiltshire News
Plans to reconnect Swindon to Birmingham by rail unveiled
Plans to reconnect Swindon with Birmingham by rail have been unveiled.
It has been 20 years since direct trains ran between Swindon with Birmingham. Since the early 2000s rail passengers to the Midlands have had to change at Gloucester or Cheltenham.
But a direct, hourly service could soon be reinstated through the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub project.
Swindon North MP Will Stone this week met with stakeholders to hear how the initiative could deliver up to 130 extra trains per week from Swindon to Birmingham.
He was joined by joined by Chris Watts, Swindon Council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr Fay Howard, Mayor of Swindon, Tom Lydon, head of public affairs at Great Western Railway, and Adam King, head of policy and partnerships from England’s Economic Heartland.
The project will also deliver a jobs boost – more than 12,750 roles are expected to result from the Midlands Rail Hub’s first phase, which will be primarily benefit travellers in the West Midlands, South Wales and the Southwest has been funded. Midlands Rail Hub is a £1.75 billion blueprint for faster, better and more frequent connections across the region.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced she is funding the first phase of the rail upgrade in the spending review, which sets government budgets for the coming years. The scheme was also mentioned in the recent government 10-year infrastructure strategy.
At the end of August it was announced that the project had taken a major step forward to delivery, with identification of the preferred alliance partners including VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, AtkinsRéalis, Siemens Mobility, and Network Rail.
Will Stone, Member of Parliament for Swindon North, said: “It’s fantastic that Swindon could be benefiting from the Midlands Rail hub expansion. We’re a town built on connection via the railways, and so it’s great to see Swindon getting an hourly service between a fellow industrial town like Birmingham.
“This connection will improve access for residents across the country, with two million extra seats available for passengers passing along the railway between Swindon and Birmingham each year, forging stronger links between businesses and communities.
“Innovative projects like the Midlands Rail hub prove that investments in our railways, fully funded by the Chancellor, are transformative for communities, bringing new jobs and skills to areas across the country.”
