A shock to the system

It’s been announced that rail electrification between London and South Wales will stop at Cardiff Central – although no-one is prepared to predict at the precise time it’ll come to a halt.

Having taken the train to Paddington and back on more occasions I can remember, there’s every chance it’ll be delayed because of a signal failure between Reading and Didcot Parkway, a cow on the line outside Swindon and the possibility of a nervous little train refusing to move out of the safety of the Severn Tunnel and on into Newport in case it has its wheels stolen while waiting in the station for two minutes.

It’s okay. I have friends in Newport. They can take a joke. Well, you’d be exactly the same if you lived there.

As soon it was announced rail electrification would stop at Cardiff, a lot of people around here got themselves into a lather, complaining that yet again Swansea was being overlooked; rejected; ignored – choose any verb you like –  and that, over the decades, various things stopped at Cardiff and didn’t come to Swansea – like the Welsh Assembly Government.

Then again, a lot of people are relieved it didn’t come here.

Another complaint was the Beatles never performed in Swansea!

I honestly don’t think the Fab Four deliberately snubbed the city any more than they did hundreds of other places they didn’t get around to visiting during the short period they toured the UK.

After 50 years, I think it’s time we let that one go, don’t you?

The thing is, even if rail electrification does stop at Cardiff, the brand spanking new hybrid electric-diesel trains will still be travelling on from Cardiff to Swansea (and back!) so what are we really missing out on?

Let’s enjoy the new, smooth rail travel experience. At least until we get to Didcot Parkway.