Network Rail and Transport for Wales (TfW) have worked together to remove dozens of historic speed restrictions on the route between Cardiff, Manchester and Holyhead.
The Class 67 locomotives which haul Mark 4 carriages on TfW’s Premier Service trains had previously faced speed restrictions in 40 locations on the Marches Line. Network Rail has intervened to remove 38 of these.
Network Rail Wales and Borders Programme Manager Alex Hinshelwood said: “After three years of hard work and collaboration, the line-speed improvement project on the Marches Line has been commissioned.
“This allows all trains between Hereford, Crewe and North Wales to run at the same speed, bringing significant journey time improvements in time for the December 2024 timetable change.
With signalling tweaks and new signage, journey times between Manchester and Cardiff have been cut by around ten minutes.
Transport for Wales Planning and Performance Director Colin Lea said: “We are delighted to have agreed these key line-speed improvements on the Marches line.
“These will initially prove to be a performance boost for us, meaning we can get more customers to where they are travelling to on time. From December, we will also be able to improve journey times on the back of this work, meaning shorter journeys for our customers.
“Speed improvements can only be achieved through close collaboration and with safety at the forefront, so this achievement really does show how train operators and Network Rail can work together for the benefit of customers and the economy.”
Image credit: Transport for Wales
