The results of a recent personal, practical survey by a BBC journalist produced an unpleasant shock. Researching exposure to diesel pollutants over a cycle of mixed transport use, he found:
"The average reading I got on-board my air conditioned train was 8.5. A researcher from King's College conducted an experiment to mirror mine on his train journey from London to Exeter and came out with similar results.
"My time spent standing on the station concourse at London St Pancras, waiting for my train, produced a reading of 13.2.
"So it turns out that during the 80 minutes I spend sitting still on a train every day I am being exposed to more diesel fumes than when I'm walking or cycling down a street full of traffic in London."
So this adds urgent health reasons to the economic ones for electrification of the line to Swansea and to those in and around Cardiff, which must be one of the most diesel-dominated stations in the UK.
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