How district line can play key role in cutting train journey times

A RAIL service which would cut up to 22 minutes from the rail journey time between Carmarthen-Llanelli-Swansea and Cardiff has been included in the five-year regional transport delivery plan (RTDP) for South West Wales.

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The South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee (SWWCJC), the statutory grouping of local councils, has included this and other potential regional, high-cost investments which following further study would be referred to the Welsh and UK governments for funding.

The SWWCJC sensibly did not include an alternative scheme for a Pontarddulais-Morriston-Swansea “metro” costing £200m with little travel and strategic benefit for Carmarthen-shire or Pembrokeshire residents.

Travellers from Pontarddulais and north Swansea would not use it as it was five times the duration of the direct car/bus route to central Swansea; it was unjustifiable from its inception.

The SWWCJC has proposed using the little-used Swansea District Line (SDL) track to enhance the east-west strategic rail route.

This columnist has supported creating a train service along this more direct (and therefore reduced journey time) hourly service between the capital and West Wales even before the first governmental report in 2017.

This would be an additional train service and the existing TW Rail service frequencies between Cardiff and Swansea (High Street station) and onwards to West Wales will not be affected, nor will the Great Western Carmarthen to London service.