Article from BTNews 31 OCTOBER 2016
GWR hits back on Cardiff
Hard on the heels of Flybe boosting services between Cardiff and London after an increase in demand during the Severn Tunnel closure (See BTN 24 October), Great Western Railway hit back this week with developments of its own.
The company on Monday launched a 500-seat train called Y Cymro – The Welshman train, forming one of 59 daily services between Cardiff and London Paddington, to mark the re-opening of the tunnel on 22 October.
Operating the 07:28 service from Swansea, it takes the number of direct daily services from Cardiff to Paddington back to 29 a day and joins three other named weekday services between South Wales and the London terminus.
The Welshman calls at Cardiff at 08:25 before heading for London for arrival into Paddington at 10:32, taking 2hr 07min from the Welsh capital – just 7min more than the minimum check-in time advised by airports. In all, there are 30,000-plus train seats a day between south Wales and Paddington.
GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said: “With a large number of passengers travelling by train between Cardiff and Paddington, it is clear rail remains the most convenient way to travel.”
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