This is Lucas - I am back! I'll be more frequently from now on.
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| Unidentified HST at Dawlish. |
First Great Western is a Train Operating Company owned by First Group. FGW operates over 200 stations and their trains stop at over 270 stations. In January 2013, the company were handed an extension contract to October 2013 and subsequently this time a 2 year contract extension was handed to take the franchise up until September this year.
However, in March the Department For Transport announced that First would oversee the franchise and completion of GWML Electrification Project until April 2019.
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| 166 221 "Reading Traincare Depot. |
Their Current Fleet:
- 119 Class 43 for 54 High Speed Train sets.
- 4 Class 57 diesel locomotives.
- 45 Class 150 Sprinter sets.
- 12 Class 153 Super-Sprinter sets.
- 16 Class 158 Express Sprinter sets.
- 36 Class 165 Network Turbo sets.
- 21 Class 166 Network Express Turbos.
- 5 Class 180 Adelante sets
Recent Changes and What They Mean:
- Micheal Eavis,the Glastonbury festival founder has had a power car (43 026) named after him.
- 43 144 and 146 have been fitted with Building A Greater West livery as part of the GWML electrification project.
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| 43 146 with it's new livery. |
- The first Night Riviera coach is in it's new GWR Livery.
- 158 798 has received a new advertising livery of "Supporting North Somerset Children with additional needs."
The Future:
- The new FGW Timetable from 17th May until 12th December 2015 is available to view here.
- Engineering work will take place over the Bank Holiday (23, 24 and 25th May) as Network Rail will be undertaking the testing of new signalling equipment installed as part of the GWML Electrification Project.
- As already mentioned in various Weekly Overviews, FGW have chosen preferred bidder Hitachi to make a fleet of 29 AT300's bi-mode trains for Intercity services to Devon and Cornwall (see above picture, the proposed look of the new fleet). If the Government agree then High Speed Trains will not be used and transferred to other Train Operating Companies. If the Government do not give the green light next month, then High Speed Trains will be refurbished and used on services in Devon & Cornwall.
- 2 Phases of Engineering works will be completed near Bath in July and August this year due to the £7.5 billion Network Rail Modernisation of the Great Western Main Line - full details here.
- By September the rebrand of FGW to GWR should be complete. Below is what I've experienced when travelling on the FGW network.
Pictured is the new rebranded GWR First Class - Photos © Andy.
- The transfer of stock from other TOC's (plus some new 387s aside from those cascaded) will aid FGW aim to add an extra
9,000 seats per day by the end of the Franchise - 29 Class 387's will be
transferred from Govia Thameslink Railway while 8 new built 4-car 387's
will be built for the Thames Valley route. In addition 21 Class 365's will
be transferred from GTR to FGW. Detail here about the 387s for GWR.
- The transfer of Class 365's and addition of roughly 35 387's to FGW will see most of FGW's Class 165 and 166's fleet move west to the Bristol Region which will further allow Class 150's and 158's to be cascaded further west. While the cascade of 150's and 158's is in full flow in the next 4 years, you will start to see the Pacers (Class 143's) being withdrawn from service with FGW.
- Buffet Cars are due to be replaced by a
trolley service from 2017 when the new Hitachi trains are launched on the
GWML.
^Lucas
