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 near Swindon, first calling at Bristol Parkway, after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales.
First Great Western operates High Speed Trains between London and South Wales and 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. Arriva Trains Wales operates services between South Wales, and North Wales and the Midlands on the line.
It is planned to electrify the line using the AC overhead system, with completion by 2017. The electrification was not originally intended to extend west of Cardiff Central, but the DFT has announced that the line will be electrified all the way to Swansea.
Read more about South Wales Main Line: History, Infrastructure, Associated Routes, Plans, Communities Served
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