Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has today welcomed the arrival of the first new Intercity Express Train to Penzance ahead of the full rollout of the new rolling stock in 2018.
Commenting, Steve said:
“It was so great to see the first of the new Hitachi ‘Bullet’ styled trains rolling into Penzance this morning. These new modern trains will replace the current rolling stock which is almost as old as me!”
“The new trains, along with investment in the signalling system, will create more capacity on the mainline to London as well as cutting about 15 minutes of the travel time and providing much better onboard facilities.”
“This new £400million investment is another example of the current record levels of investment into Cornwall’s transport system. It has been a real team effort with Great Western Railway, Network Rail, Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport working together to deliver this investment which will enhance our connection to London.”
“Not only will it improve the travel experience for tourists coming to Cornwall but also provide a better link for local businesses to the capital to support our local economy.”
“There is still much more to be done, but along with the dualling of the A30 at Temple, due to be completed next month, is another big step forward for our local transport infrastructure.”