GWR - Stock Development


Welcome To The Home Of The GWR Fleet Summary! All Developments And Updates Will Either Be Shown Here, Shown Below Or In One Of The Links Provided....


See This Link For Fleet Updates As Far As July 2016...
See Here For Posts Under The Tag 'Class 800'...
See Here For GWR Overhaul Summary 
See Here And Here For The HST Different Liveries



******   Until 2015, the company was known as First Great Western. Aside from general fleet overhauls and livery changes (painted from the 'dynamic lines' royal blue with pink livery into dark green with silver vinyls and decals) when it became GWR in 2015, there wasn't really much news to report at this time. All significant news between 2013/2015 is contained in our blog articles - CLICK HERE to browse. For example, did you known that in 2012 five Class 180s entered service with GWR (as it's known today). Meanwhile, 150001/002 (prototype 3-car 150s) transferred from London Midland for the purpose of operating the Reading-Basingstoke route?! Fact! *******


12/05/16: Network Rail  completed the next stage of electrifying the Great Western Mainline - which will allow the Class 800/801s to operate. This type of stock will begin tests from September between Reading/Didcot, the first area to be electrified along the line. Then by December 2018, the entire line between Bristol Parkway, Cardiff and Newbury should be electrified - followed by Bath by 2019, Oxford by June 2019 and all platforms at Bristol Temple Meads by 2020.

GWR Power Car 43 023 was named "SQN LDR Harrold Starr" at Swindon during September 2015 to honour a wartime hero. Andy.

 Class 365s will no longer transfer from GTR, due to further 387s planned instead. GWR will also take on 37 387s in total instead - their first unit to be tested is seen here at Derby. Details here about the 387s for GWR. 


July 2016: The first of these 387s have been on many of trials and tests from Brighton. But we've also found out the Train has visited Paddington too, preparing for the route they will run on. 


Photo from Darren Weatherall, Check out his feeds, Flickr and YouTube.

Also not forgetting the class 800/801s which will be entering service with GWR. All the latest updates are here, plus don't forget to visit our social media accounts and developments blog,-page to stay informed and up-to-date with the very latest from GWR.

Spring 2017: GWR Class 153s are starting to be de-branded, painted into a white livery at the request of the stock leasers. This is so when they cascade, they'll be ready. Allegedly, Angel owned 153s will cascade before the Porterbrook owned vehicles. As of Spring 2017, the following vehicles are leased to GWR: 153 305/318/ 325/329/333/ 361 (previously leased to Arriva Wales, in navy blue and gold star livery at time of transfer)  /368/369/370/ 372/373/ 377/380/382. 


 As reported, in GWR related blog articles, overhauled Night Riviera sleeper carriages are now beginning to enter service (spring 2017). Class 387s also entered service on the first sections of the network, allowing 165/166s turbos to transfer to other parts of the GWR map (in turn, allowing the final 8 Pacers to be eventually withdrawn and many 150/153 DMUs cascade to Northern Rail). In May 2017, it's predicted that GWR will also operate these units on the Paddington to Maidenhead corridor. 


Regarding class 800s, these are still in construction. The latest updates are as follows:                       - - - Awaiting shipment.                  - - -                    - - - 



Our Popular Posts....

07/02/17: Recent Goings On

Image
Harry Here, Summarising Some Of The Interesting Fleet News Between Oct 2016 and Spring 2017...... 10/2016: 142073 heads to  Doncaster for overhaul , as all ArrivaTrainsWales are going into the new livery gradually. 27/01/2017: 37423 and an extra DRS MK2 arrive at Norwich from  Derby, for Short Set usage.  Meanwhile, 68021 and 68016 arrive to take over duty's on the 68 Hauled Anglia Short Set, because 68025 and 68005 both need exams.  01/17: Virgin East coast finish the overhaul of all 45 trains! 
Read More....

Abellio Greater Anglia to Abellio East Anglia

Image
As Many Of You Are Aware, The AGA Franchise Renews This October For Services In East Anglia, Including To Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Abellio Continue The Franchise, But Renamed East Anglia Ltd.  Greater Anglia, as it was at first, began in February 2012 - operating the short term tender which was due to expire in July 2014. However, the Government later extended this franchise, and it then became the rebranded Abellio Greater Anglia.
Read More....

Reminder: Stock + Service Changes, Abellio East Anglia.

IN SUMMARY: - Free Wi-Fi on Many Trains and also an  improved WiFi service at stations .  - Additional seats on trains across the network, by increasing train lengths and capacity.  - CET toilets, so waste isn't flushed onto tracks. This is already on MK3s.  - Increasing train punctuality and performance. - Entire fleet replacement (stated below), so other units are displaced or withdrawn. - Norwich to Cambridge trains extended to Stansted, and Sudbury branch lines running to Colchester. - Lowestoft connections to London Liverpool Street reinstated, using the electro-diesel units, four times per day. - Trains half hourly to Great Yarmouth, plus later connections to Sheringham and Lowestoft.
Read More....

Exclusive ~ VirginTrains ~ Penguilino & Claus 91

Image
To get into the Xmas spirit, Virgin Trains have unveiled East Coast  82209 & 91128  and Virgin West Coast revealed Pendolino 390013 in their Winter-style livery, as designed by Madeleine Deakin (aged 11) and Amber Maxfield (age 9) whom won a competition earlier this season.  The units were unveiled at London Kings Cross this morning and will remain in the livery until January. Claus 91, as it's been named, operates on the East Coast mainline between Kings Cross and Scotland via Penguinborough, whilst the Penguilino can be found on Virgin Trains West Coast services between London Euston and The North (North Pole) via Ho Ho Crewe.
Read More....

SOUTH - Last Day of Class 458/0 Operations

Image
©Liam Jenkins Good Evening, Liam here, offering you a post regarding the last day of South West Trains Class 458/0 service. Enjoy! On Sunday 8th November 2015, South West Trains operated the last day of Class 458/0s on the units' final day of operations. These units are to be sent to Doncaster Works, where they will be refurbished with the Gatwick Express Class 460s into a new Class 458/5 class.
Read More....

Special - Rebuilding the 1960's Class 73's.

Image
It's Friday, and today's post is a special! Not as I'm here (Andy)... Class 73's were built in the 1960's and generally used in the Southern region. In 2013, it was announced that GB Railfreight would initially be re-building 5 Class 73's to make them Class 73/9's. The complete re stripping and rebuilding has taken place at Brush Traction in Loughborough.  The Class 73/9's first started testing in late 2014 (73 961 - 965) as there had been some issues, however they were all resolved pretty soon. The 73/9's are intended to work infrastructure trains (test trains under Network Rail) and also to be used on Rail Head Treatment Trains. As a result of the rebuild, it has given the Class 73/9's up to 25 years more in service, and more 73/9's are to be released over the coming months which should see them introduced on to the Serco Sleeper eventually!
Read More....

Peter Skuce Reports (6A)

Image
Chiltern 168. (C) P Skuce. Peter. Part A is for the Chiltern Line Modernisation. Part B will lead from this. During the 1960s British Railways built forty one, 4 carriage Class 115 DMU trains for the London Marylebone – Aylesbury Chiltern Line. One trailer carriage had entirely Standard Class accommodation with 106 seats, whilst the other trailer carriage was a composite, featuring First Class cabins with seating to the 2+2 layout and Standard Class with two toilets. They were powered by Leyland Albion engines, with mechanical transmission and their maximum speed was 70 mph. A new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury to accommodate the trains.
Read More....