Prime Minister opens railway sidings for new electric services

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has officially opened a new £4.5 million railway siding in her constituency of Maidenhead.

 This will see Great Western Railway increase the number of electric, peak time trains, helping to ease congestion.

The sidings have been installed as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan. It will allow GWR to introduce a further three new eight carriage Electrostar trains, increasing capacity and improving passenger experience.

Theresa May, the Maidenhead MP, unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the sidings, commenting: “It is great to see that this vital work, which will increase capacity and improve services for passengers, has been completed ahead of schedule.

“Improving peak-time services between Maidenhead and London is one of my priorities as an MP, and it is good news for the town that we are making such progress.”

The new Electrostar services were extended from Hayes & Harlington to operate between Maidenhead and London Paddington in May 2017 at peak times. The opening marks a total of eight, eight carriage electric trains now in service, replacing five and six carriage diesel services. 

The newly-opened sidings have been delivered 18 months early, and electrification between Maidenhead and London Paddington was also completed ahead of time after being funded and delivered by the Crossrail project. The new sidings will be used by Elizabeth line trains from 2019.

“By delivering the sidings 18 months early it allows passengers to enjoy the benefits of electrification and our Railway Upgrade Plan sooner than expected,” commented Mark Langman, route managing director for Network Rail.

Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said: “The Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK. We have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much needed additional capacity and more comfortable, quieter journeys.”