More trains and journey times between Chippenham and London to be reduced by up to 16 minutes
More trains and journey times between Chippenham and London to be reduced by up to 16 minutes
The new GWR timetable should have a positive effect on the Chippenham business community according to a local commercial property company.
More than three-quarters of all services operated by Great Western Railway are set to change with the introduction of a completely recast timetable on 15th December.
The changes will see journey times between Chippenham and London Paddington reduced by up to 16 minutes in some cases, with faster trains making fewer stops between Wiltshire and the capital. The fastest journey time will be just one hour and two minutes. Additional trains will run in peak hours significantly increasing capacity.
Lindsay Holdoway, Managing Director of HPH Commercial Property which owns a range of business and commercial space in the town, believes that improved links to London has the potential to attract new businesses to the area.
He said, “More and more businesses are choosing town centre office locations and access to a good rail service is a key requirement. With car ownership declining and the limited availability and high cost of parking, rail travel is seen by many employers as the more sustainable option. Chippenham will particularly benefit from the new timetable as the faster trains will have fewer stops but all stop at Chippenham.
“The town benefits from much lower property costs compared to towns closer to London and there is a strong, skilled local workforce within the catchment area. This coupled with easy access to the M4 and excellent broadband connectivity has put Chippenham in a very competitive position to attract employers.
“Now with even better rail connections the town will be a serious consideration for businesses looking for alternatives to the major cities.”
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said, “We have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare to implement the biggest timetable change on this network since the 1970s, enabling us to take advantage of the full benefits that new Intercity Express Trains are bringing.
“In providing more frequent and quicker journeys, our new timetable will for the vast majority of users quite literally mean ‘all change please’ and we are pleased the new timetable has now been published.”
