The South Wales Main Line (Welsh: Prif Linell De Cymru), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. It diverges from the core London-Bristol line at Royal Wootton Bassett beyond Swindon, first calling at Bristol Parkway, after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales.
South Wales Main Line
The entrance to the Chipping Sodbury Tunnel with the newly electrified overhead line equipment
The line between Swindon and Cardiff Central was electrified using the 25 kV AC overhead system as part of the larger electrification of the Great Western Main Line.
In 1886, the opening of the Severn Tunnel brought the opportunity of a more direct route to South Wales, and trains from Swindon to Newport and beyond were routed via Bath, Bristol and the tunnel.
The route used today was established in 1903 with the building of what is often known as the Badminton Line.[3] This involved the construction of about 33 miles (53 km) of new track, and tunnels at Alderton and Sodbury. The new line left the Bath line beyond Swindon at what is now Royal Wootton Bassett, rejoining the earlier route north of Bristol near Patchway. Not only did this provide a more direct route for traffic to and from South Wales, the gradients were easier for coal trains to negotiate, and it was thought that the line would be a boost to what was, at the time of building, the expanding port of Fishguard. This was the GWR's connection with trans-Atlanticocean liner departures.
21st centuryEdit
In 2005, the Strategic Rail Authority produced a Route Utilisation Strategy for the Great Western Main Line in 2005 to propose ways of meeting increased traffic levels. Network Rail's 2007 Business Plan included the provision of extra platform capacity at Cardiff Central, Newport and Bristol Parkway, together with resignalling and line speed improvements in South Wales, most of which would be delivered in 2010–2014.
Reading station underwent a major redevelopment, being reopened in July 2014.[4]
Electrification work at Cardiff Central in October 2019
The South Wales Main Line was one of the last of the major inter-city routes in Great Britain to remain un-electrified. The government announced in 2012 a scheme to electrify the South Wales Main Line as part of a wider scheme of electrification on the Great Western Main Line. The line from London to Cardiff was fully electrified by Christmas 2019.[5]
The Hitachi Super Express trains bought for Great Western inter-city services are predominantly electric units, but a portion of the fleet are dual power source electro-diesel bi-mode trains, which enabled services to operate before line electrification is complete. The bi-mode trains will allow inter-city services to continue to operate from London all the way to Carmarthen in the future. The Super Express trains were expected to bring an estimated 15% increase in capacity during the morning peak hours. Electrification cut journey times between Swansea and London by an estimated 20 minutes, although electrification will not extend west of Cardiff to Swansea, Carmarthen or Pembroke Dock, and services on the line to Brighton, Portsmouth Harbour and Taunton will continue to be operated by diesel trains, as the Bristol to Exeter Line and the Wessex Main Line will not be electrified.[6]
InfrastructureEdit
Four track railway approaching Cardiff from Newport, prior to electrification
There are four tracks from Severn Tunnel Junction through Newport to Cardiff Central, with two tracks on the remaining sections.[7] Multiple-aspect signals are controlled from several power signal boxes including Swindon, Bristol and two in Cardiff. Over the August Bank Holiday weekend 2016, control of the signals between Westerleigh Junction and Pilning was switched over to the Thames Valley Signalling Centre. These signals now carry the prefix 'BL'.[citation needed]
The maximum line speed from Wootton Bassett Junction to Coalpit Heath is 125 mph (200 km/h);[8] 90 mph (145 km/h) from Coalpit Heath to Newport; 90 mph (145 km/h) from Newport to east of Bridgend;[9] 75 mph (120 km/h) from east of Bridgend to Swansea Loop North junction (with a small section of 100 mph (160 km/h) track through Pyle station); and 40 mph (65 km/h) from Swansea Loop North Junction to Swansea.[7]
Half of peak High Speed Trains and most off peak trains continue from Cardiff Central to Swansea, with a few continuing to Carmarthen or in summer, Pembroke Dock.
The local service between Swansea and Cardiff is branded Swanline. The urban network within and surrounding Cardiff, including the Maesteg Line, is referred to as Valley Lines.
^"South Wales Coastal" (PDF). Dovetail Games. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
^"The Story of the G.W.R." Railway Wonders of the World. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
^Kevin Robertson and David Abbott (1988). GWR The Badminton Line – A portrait of a railway. Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN0-86299-459-4.
^"Queen opens revamped Reading railway station". BBC News. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
^"GWML electrification dates revealed". www.railtechnologymagazine.com. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
^"Britain's Transport Infrastructure, Rail Electrification" (PDF). Department for Transport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
^ ab(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
^"Western Route Sectional Appendix December 2021" (PDF). Network Rail. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
^Network Rail. (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources South Wales Main Line news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message The South Wales Main Line Welsh Prif Linell De Cymru originally known as the London Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain It diverges from the core London Bristol line at Royal Wootton Bassett beyond Swindon first calling at Bristol Parkway after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales South Wales Main LineThe entrance to the Chipping Sodbury Tunnel with the newly electrified overhead line equipmentOverviewStatusOperationalOwnerNetwork RailLocaleSouth WalesSouth West EnglandStations18ServiceTypeHeavy railSystemNational RailOperator s Transport for WalesCrossCountryGreat Western RailwayHistoryOpened1850 173 years ago 1850 Chepstow Swansea 1903 120 years ago 1903 Swindon Patchway TechnicalLine length84 miles 30 chains 135 79 km Number of tracksMainly double track though quadruple track from Severn Tunnel Junction via Newport to Cardiff Central CharacterMain lineTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeElectrification25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE Wootton Bassett to Cardiff Central Operating speedUp to 125 mph 201 km h in England Up to 100 mph 161 km h in WalesRoute map Click to expand vteSouth Wales Main LineLegendMiles0 London PaddingtonGreat Western Main Line77 SwindonGolden Valley lineWootton Bassett RoadWootton Bassett JunctionGreat Western Main Lineto Bristol Temple MeadsBrinkworthLittle SomerfordMalmesbury branchHullavingtonAlderton TunnelBadmintonChipping Sodbury Tunnel2 mi 924 yd 4 06 kmChipping SodburyWesterleigh JunctionCross Country RouteBristol and Gloucester Railwayto Westerleigh goods depotCoalpit HeathWessex Main Line andGreat Western Main LineWinterbourne117 Bristol Temple MeadsBristol Exeter line116 Lawrence Hill116 Stapleton RoadSevern Beach line111 Bristol Parkway113 Filton Abbey WoodStoke Gifford depotHenbury Loop Line113 PatchwayPatchway Tunnel 1 mi2 km116 PilningEnglandWales Severn Tunnel 4 mi 624 yd7 01 kmGloucester Newport lineMoD CaerwentCaldicot123 Severn Tunnel JunctionUndy HaltMagorFlying junctionBishton CrossingLlanwern steelworksLlanwernGoods line to UskmouthEast UskMaindee JunctionWelsh Marches lineBridge over River UskMonmouthshire RailwayNewport Mill Street 133 NewportHillfield Tunnel 770 yd704 mGaer JunctionAlexandra DockEbbw Valley RailwayEbbw JunctionEbbw RiverMarshfieldWentlooge Freightliner terminalRiver RhymneyRoathLong Dyke JunctionValleys amp Cardiff Local RoutesCardiff Queen StreetCardiff Bay145 Cardiff CentralRiver TaffCardiff Canton TMDVale of Glamorgan LineNinian ParkLeckwith JunctionValleys amp Cardiff Local Routesto PontypriddEly Main LineRiver ElySt FagansRiver ElyPeterstonRiver ElyRiver ElyPontyclunRiver ElyLlantrisant amp Taff ValeJunction Railway156 LlanharanLlynvi and Ogmore Railwayto Brynmenyn161 PencoedVale of Glamorgan Line165 BridgendMaesteg LineRiver Ogmore171 PyleWater Street JunctionGoods line to TonduMargam Knuckle YardPort Talbot Steelworks Port of Port Talbot 177 Port Talbot ParkwayMargam HaltRiver Afan179 BaglanBaglan Bay181 Briton FerryCourt Sart JunctionSwansea District line183 NeathNeath CanalRiver NeathVale of Neath RailwayTennant Canal187 SkewenSwansea District line to Llanelli188 LlansamletSwansea Vale RailwayLlansamlet cuttingLandore viaduct over River TaweLandore High LevelSwansea Loop East JunctionLandore TMD191 SwanseaSwansea Loop West JunctionLandore JunctionWest Wales lineGreat Western Railway operates Class 800 trains between London and South Wales and Castle class High Speed Trains on services between Cardiff and South West England CrossCountry provides services from Cardiff to Nottingham via Severn Tunnel Junction and thence the Gloucester to Newport Line via Gloucester and Birmingham Transport for Wales operates services between South Wales and North Wales and the Midlands on the line The line between Swindon and Cardiff Central was electrified using the 25 kV AC overhead system as part of the larger electrification of the Great Western Main Line Contents 1 History 1 1 21st century 1 2 Electrification 2 Infrastructure 3 Associated routes 4 Communities served 5 Accidents and incidents 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditThe original route of the Great Western Railway GWR between London and South Wales after the opening of Brunel s Chepstow Railway Bridge in 1852 left the Bristol bound Great Western Main Line at Swindon proceeding via Stroud Gloucester and Chepstow before rejoining the present line at Severn Tunnel Junction This gave rise to the nickname Great Way Round 1 2 In 1886 the opening of the Severn Tunnel brought the opportunity of a more direct route to South Wales and trains from Swindon to Newport and beyond were routed via Bath Bristol and the tunnel The route used today was established in 1903 with the building of what is often known as the Badminton Line 3 This involved the construction of about 33 miles 53 km of new track and tunnels at Alderton and Sodbury The new line left the Bath line beyond Swindon at what is now Royal Wootton Bassett rejoining the earlier route north of Bristol near Patchway Not only did this provide a more direct route for traffic to and from South Wales the gradients were easier for coal trains to negotiate and it was thought that the line would be a boost to what was at the time of building the expanding port of Fishguard This was the GWR s connection with trans Atlantic ocean liner departures 21st century Edit In 2005 the Strategic Rail Authority produced a Route Utilisation Strategy for the Great Western Main Line in 2005 to propose ways of meeting increased traffic levels Network Rail s 2007 Business Plan included the provision of extra platform capacity at Cardiff Central Newport and Bristol Parkway together with resignalling and line speed improvements in South Wales most of which would be delivered in 2010 2014 Reading station underwent a major redevelopment being reopened in July 2014 4 Electrification Edit See also Proposed railway electrification in Great Britain nbsp Electrification work at Cardiff Central in October 2019The South Wales Main Line was one of the last of the major inter city routes in Great Britain to remain un electrified The government announced in 2012 a scheme to electrify the South Wales Main Line as part of a wider scheme of electrification on the Great Western Main Line The line from London to Cardiff was fully electrified by Christmas 2019 5 The Hitachi Super Express trains bought for Great Western inter city services are predominantly electric units but a portion of the fleet are dual power source electro diesel bi mode trains which enabled services to operate before line electrification is complete The bi mode trains will allow inter city services to continue to operate from London all the way to Carmarthen in the future The Super Express trains were expected to bring an estimated 15 increase in capacity during the morning peak hours Electrification cut journey times between Swansea and London by an estimated 20 minutes although electrification will not extend west of Cardiff to Swansea Carmarthen or Pembroke Dock and services on the line to Brighton Portsmouth Harbour and Taunton will continue to be operated by diesel trains as the Bristol to Exeter Line and the Wessex Main Line will not be electrified 6 Infrastructure Edit nbsp Four track railway approaching Cardiff from Newport prior to electrificationThere are four tracks from Severn Tunnel Junction through Newport to Cardiff Central with two tracks on the remaining sections 7 Multiple aspect signals are controlled from several power signal boxes including Swindon Bristol and two in Cardiff Over the August Bank Holiday weekend 2016 control of the signals between Westerleigh Junction and Pilning was switched over to the Thames Valley Signalling Centre These signals now carry the prefix BL citation needed The maximum line speed from Wootton Bassett Junction to Coalpit Heath is 125 mph 200 km h 8 90 mph 145 km h from Coalpit Heath to Newport 90 mph 145 km h from Newport to east of Bridgend 9 75 mph 120 km h from east of Bridgend to Swansea Loop North junction with a small section of 100 mph 160 km h track through Pyle station and 40 mph 65 km h from Swansea Loop North Junction to Swansea 7 Associated routes EditA diversionary route exists if the Severn Tunnel is closed This takes trains from Severn Tunnel Junction to Gloucester from where they can rejoin the main line either via the Golden Valley Line to Swindon or take the Cross Country Route and reverse at Bristol Parkway If the line is closed between Cardiff Central and Bridgend an alternative route exists along the Vale of Glamorgan Line Half of peak High Speed Trains and most off peak trains continue from Cardiff Central to Swansea with a few continuing to Carmarthen or in summer Pembroke Dock The local service between Swansea and Cardiff is branded Swanline The urban network within and surrounding Cardiff including the Maesteg Line is referred to as Valley Lines Communities served EditTowns and cities served by trains from LondonReading Didcot Swindon Bristol Newport Cardiff Bridgend Port Talbot Neath Swansea Settlements served by local trains onlyPatchway Pilning very limited service Magor Rogiet Llanharan Pontyclun Pencoed Pyle Baglan Briton Ferry Skewen LlansamletAccidents and incidents EditOn 7 March 2015 Battle of Britain class locomotive 34067 Tangmere was hauling a charter train that overran a signal at Wooton Bassett Wiltshire The train s operator West Coast Railway Company was temporarily banned from running trains on the British railway network as a direct consequence of this incident See also EditTransport in Wales Transport in England South Wales Railway Great Western Main LineReferences Edit South Wales Coastal PDF Dovetail Games Retrieved 2 October 2017 The Story of the G W R Railway Wonders of the World Retrieved 2 October 2017 Kevin Robertson and David Abbott 1988 GWR The Badminton Line A portrait of a railway Sutton Publishing Ltd ISBN 0 86299 459 4 Queen opens revamped Reading railway station BBC News 17 July 2014 Retrieved 10 February 2023 GWML electrification dates revealed www railtechnologymagazine com Retrieved 16 October 2017 Britain s Transport Infrastructure Rail Electrification PDF Department for Transport Archived from the original PDF on 23 January 2017 Retrieved 16 September 2013 a b Network Rail Wales Route Utilisation Strategy November 2008 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 7 June 2011 Retrieved 16 September 2013 Western Route Sectional Appendix December 2021 PDF Network Rail 4 September 2021 Retrieved 21 December 2021 Network Rail Network Rail Route specifications 2011 PDF Network Rail Archived from the original PDF on 30 January 2015 Retrieved 22 March 2015 Network Rail Passenger Timetable London Network Rail 2006 External links EditKML file edit help Template Attached KML South Wales Main LineKML is from Wikidata nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Wales Main Line 2007 Business Plan Network Rail London Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title South Wales Main Line amp oldid 1154728188, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
