Rail travellers from Cardiff, Bristol, and Plymouth could be looking at increased journey times to London due to track adjustments, a government official has indicated. Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood hinted that all Great Western Railway services might stop at Old Oak Common, an emerging station in West London. However, she warned that even if this didn’t happen, passengers should expect a “small increase in journey times” because of the track realignment.
Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley voiced concerns that South West commuters might end up feeling like “second class” citizens compared to HS2 users once Old Oak Common station was operational, offering a link between the two lines. Plaid Cymru representative Ann Davies labelled the scheme as “unjust”, amidst appeals for substantial investment in Welsh infrastructure to balance out the HS2 expenditure in England. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
During a session in Westminster Hall, Ms Greenwood informed MPs: “Old Oak Common station is being built to enable all Great Western Main Line and relief line services to call at the station, and this is important for future-proofing.” She continued: “But whilst all trains will be able to call, the future timetable will be under development for many years, so it’s still too early to say with any certainty which trains will call here or from when.”
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Ms Greenwood further explained: “Building the station requires a realignment of the Great Western Main Line to curve around new platforms. Unfortunately, that means that even trains that do not stop at the station will have a small increase in journey times and I know the rail minister (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) has already asked industry partners to review current plans to ensure the impact of this is minimised.”
An additional four to seven minutes could be added to journey times for all trains coming in or out of Paddington if they were to call at Old Oak Common, Ms Greenwood confirmed. In the Commons debate held on Tuesday, Mr Wrigley voiced his opinion: “Fast trains should not stop at Old Oak Common. In addition, the South West must see benefit, and not just be second class to Midlands traffic.”
He labelled the potential plan for all trains to stop at Old Oak Common as a “bizarre plan” that needs to be stopped “in its tracks”. He further stated: “I do understand the station is being built – it is likely too late to redesign it – however, after a period of six years of construction delay, it’s adding insult to injury to then have a delay of between five to 15 minutes on every train on the GWR network going to London and out.”
The representative from Newton Abbot in Devon also pressed the minister to prioritise resilience works at Dawlish along the coast and electrification of the line to Penzance in Cornwall to improve speed. As for Wales, Ms Davies, representing Caerfyrddin in West Wales, claimed that Wales was “being robbed of £4 billion in consequential funding from HS2”. She commented: “Old Oak Common is yet another example of how unjust the current arrangements are for Wales. The Government must change course and deliver the billions Wales is owed from HS2 and ensure that there is proper mitigation for Welsh passengers due to the disruption at Old Oak Common.”
The upcoming Old Oak Common station, a 14-platform “transport superhub”, will serve as a junction for the Great Western and HS2 lines, as well as the Elizabeth line towards central London and Heathrow Airport. Set to be completed by 2028, the construction will cause some travel disruptions this winter, with services being rerouted to London Euston or cut short at Reading or Ealing Broadway.
Ms Greenwood remarked: “Old Oak Common station is a crucial enabler for the Government’s growth mission. It’s not just a connection to HS2 for Birmingham and the North but will be a destination in its own right, providing access to work and housing development alongside better connections to other services, including the Elizabeth line through central London and to Heathrow Airport.”
TRAFFIC AND TRAVEL