Millions of passengers on some of Britain's busiest rail routes will on Thursday be offered the prospect of faster, more reliable and cleaner journeys when the government unveils plans for major electrification for the first time since rail privatisation.

Routes between London and Swansea will be the first to be electrified since 1991. The main Liverpool to Manchester route, the world's first inter-city railway, will also be converted.

For a link to a diagram.

the Sheffield and Cardiff lines are the only two main lines from London still to be electrified, and you would think that those two lines are the logical ones to do next.

As for the change from ending electrification in Wales at Swansea from ending it to cardif, you have to ask what madman decided to stop it in Cardiff originally. The main line actually terminates at Swansea, with trains heading further then reversing out to head further into the wilds. Swansea is the logical place to finish, with a possible extension all the way to the ferry port and thence to Ireland.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.