The Government is to announce a major programme of modernisation and investment today to help create a 21st century railway, improve passenger journeys, cut carbon emissions and boost the economy.

The Prime Minister and Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis will unveil £1.1bn plans for the first big electrification of the rail network since the late 1980s, involving the London to Swansea and Liverpool to Manchester lines. It will mean the first electric main line trains ever running in Wales.

Work will start immediately on these two railways as this significant investment in Britain's infrastructure brings real benefits for passengers, including travelling on faster, greener and more reliable electric trains with more seats.

Electrification will stimulate further intercity and regional transport improvements across the country. For example, it will enable electric train services to run from Manchester and its airport to Glasgow and Edinburgh and open up the option of extending Crossrail to Reading.

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Completing work on the first two railways will increase the proportion of electric train journeys in Britain from 60% to 67% - currently only 33% of Britain's rail network is electrified. There were about 21 million passenger journeys on the Great Western line alone in the last financial year and over 1 million passenger journeys on the Liverpool-Manchester railway.

Work will start immediately and for Liverpool-Manchester will be completed within four years and for London-Swansea within eight years, although stages in between will be completed earlier.

The Great Western electrification will include the lines to Oxford and Newbury. It will also make possible the direct replacement of the ageing Intercity 125 fleet by electric Super Express intercity trains, and by hybrid diesel/ electric Super Express trains to serve destinations beyond the electrified network. This, and other replacements of diesel by electric trains, will yield significant savings in train leasing and operating costs, as well as benefiting passengers with more reliable and quieter trains.

First Minister for Wales Rhodri Morgan will also join the Prime Minister and Transport Secretary today at Cardiff to mark the announcement which will significantly strengthen the rail connection between England and Wales.

Gordon Brown said: "To build a better Britain, we must be bold, innovative and forward-looking and invest with confidence in our country's transport infrastructure, jobs and industry. This electrification programme is vital to building a 21st century transport system."

(JM)