Great Western Railway (train operating company)

This article is about the present-day train operating company. For the former company that existed from 1833 to 1948, see Great Western Railway.

Great Western Railway

Class 165 Turbo and Class 800 IET at Swindon
Overview
Franchise(s)	InterCity Great Western 4 February 1996 – 31 March 2006 Greater Western 1 April 2006 – 31 March 2020
Main region(s)	London, Thames Valley, South West England, South Wales
Other region(s)	West Midlands, South East England
Fleet size	24 Class 43 4 Class 57 diesel locomotives 8 Class 143 Pacer sets 19 Class 150 Sprinter sets 16 Class 158 Express Sprinter sets 36 Class 165 Turbo sets 21 Class 166 Express Turbo sets 1 Class 319 set for crew training 45 Class 387 Electrostar sets 57 Class 800 "Intercity Express Train" sets 36 Class 802 "Intercity Express Train" sets
Stations called at	over 270
Stations operated	197
Route km operated	2129.2
National Rail abbreviation	GW
Parent company	FirstGroup
Website	www.gwr.com
Technical
Gauge	Template:RailGauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 hz AC OHLE

Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that operates the Greater Western railway franchise. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR operates long-distance inter-city services along the Great Western Main Line to and from the West of England and South Wales, inter-city services from London to the West Country via the Reading–Taunton line and the Night Riviera sleeper service between London and Penzance. It also provides commuter and outer-suburban services from its London terminus at Paddington to West London, the Thames Valley region including parts of Berkshire, parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire; and regional services throughout the West of England and South Wales to the South coast of England. GWR was due to begin operating the Heathrow Express service under a management contract on behalf of Heathrow Airport Holdings from August 2018; however, this was later deferred to November 2018.

The company began operating in February 1996 as Great Western Trains, as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In December 1998 it became First Great Western after FirstGroup bought out its partners' shares in Great Western Holdings. In April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains were combined into the new Greater Western franchise and brought under the First Great Western brand. The company adopted its current name and a new livery in September 2015 to coincide with the start of an extended franchise that is due to run until April 2020.

History

An InterCity 125 as operated by the original Great Western Trains franchise in 1996-1998

As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the Great Western InterCity franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995 and began operations on 4 February 1996. Great Western Holdings was owned by some former British Rail managers (51%), FirstBus (24.5%) and 3i (24.5%).

In March 1998, FirstGroup bought out its partners' stakes to give it 100% ownership. In December 1998, the franchise was rebranded as First Great Western.

On 1 April 2004, First Great Western Link began operating the Thames Trains franchise. It operated local train services from Paddington to Slough, Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Newbury, Bedwyn, Worcester, Hereford, Banbury and Stratford upon Avon. It also operated services from Reading to Gatwick Airport (via Guildford and Dorking), and from Reading to Basingstoke.

First Great Western Link operated the Thames Trains franchise from April 2004 until it was absorbed into the Greater Western franchise in 2006.

On 1 April 2006, the Great Western, Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchises were combined into a new Greater Western franchise. FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for it. On 13 December 2005, it was announced that FirstGroup had won the franchise. Originally, First planned to subdivide its services into three categories based on routes. Following feedback from staff and stakeholders, the decision was taken to re-brand and re-livery all services as 'First Great Western'.

In May 2011, FirstGroup announced that it had decided not to take up the option to extend its franchise beyond the end of March 2013. FirstGroup stated that, in the light of the £1bn plan to electrify the Great Western route from London via Bristol to Cardiff, it wanted to try to negotiate a longer-term deal. CEO Tim O'Toole said: "We believe we are best placed to manage these projects and capture the benefits through a longer-term franchise."

By not taking up the option to extend its original franchise contract for a further three years, FirstGroup avoided having to pay £826.6m to the government; it received extra subsidies totalling £133m from the government in 2010.

In March 2012 Arriva, FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for the new franchise. The winner was expected to be announced in December 2012, with the new franchisee taking over in April 2013. But it was announced in July 2012 that the franchise would be extended, due to the late issue of the Invitation to Tender (ITT). The ITT ran from the end of July until October 2012. The winner would have been announced in March 2013, and taken on the franchise from 21 July 2013 until the end of July 2028. The new franchise would include the introduction of new Intercity Express Trains, capacity enhancements and smart ticketing. The award of the franchise was again delayed in October 2012, while the Department for Transport reviewed the way rail franchises were awarded.

In January 2013, the government announced that the current competition for the franchise had been terminated, and that FirstGroup's contract had been extended until October 2013. A two-year franchise extension until September 2015 was agreed in October 2013, and subsequently extended until March 2019. A further extension to April 2019 was granted in March 2015.

The refurbishment of first-class carriages in 2014 included interiors that featured a new GWR logo and no First branding. The whole company was rebranded as Great Western Railway (GWR) on 20 September 2015 and introduced a green livery in recognition of the former Great Western Railway. The new livery was introduced when HST interiors were refurbished, and on sleeper carriages and Class 57/6 locomotives.

Routes

Great Western Railway is the primary train operator in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

Main line services

South Wales
Route	tph	Calling at
London Paddington to Cardiff Central and Swansea	2	Reading, Didcot Parkway (1tph, Cardiff trains), Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff Central. 1tph extends to Swansea calling at Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.
West of England and Bristol
Route	tph	Calling at
London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads	2	Reading, Didcot Parkway (1tph off-peak), Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads. Some services are extended to Weston-super-Mare and Taunton during peak periods, limited services are extended to Exeter St Davids, Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance.
West Country
Route	tph	Calling at
London Paddington to Plymouth and Penzance	1	Reading, Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle, St Erth and Penzance. Services include the Cornish Riviera and Royal Duchy expresses, which run non-stop between Reading and Exeter.
Oxford and The Cotswolds
Route	tph	Calling at
London Paddington to Oxford	2	Slough, Reading, Didcot Parkway (8tpd Monday–Friday, 10tpd Saturday and 16tpd Sunday) and Oxford (For extension services see Peak Only and Limited services below)
Cheltenham Direct
Route	tph	Calling at
London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa	1tp2h	Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa Alternates with a turbo every other hour to give an hourly service between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa
Peak Only and Limited Services
Route	tpd	Calling at
London Paddington to Hereford via Oxford and Worcester	5 to Hereford 10 to Great Malvern 17 to Worcester	Slough, Reading, Didcot Parkway (3tpd Monday–Friday, 2tpd Saturday, All Services Sunday) Oxford, Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Evesham, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury and Hereford. Combe, Finstock and Ascott-under-Wychwood stations are served twice a day (once in each direction Monday-Friday). Additional direct services to Worcester Shrub Hill are available via Cheltenham Spa.
London Paddington to Carmarthen	1 (Mon-Sat) 3 (Sun)	Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath, Swansea, Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port and Carmarthen. Mon-Sat London bound train also calls at Ferryside and Kidwelly.
Swansea to Carmarthen (Saturdays only)	1	Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port, Carmarthen.
Swansea to Pembroke Dock (Summer Saturdays only)	1 (w/b only)Template:Clarify	Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port, Carmarthen, Whitland, Narberth, Kilgetty, Saundersfoot, Tenby, Penally, Manorbier, Lamphey, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.
London Paddington to Pembroke Dock (Summer Saturdays only)	1 from London 2 to London	Reading, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath, Swansea, Llanelli, Pembrey & Burry Port, Carmarthen, Whitland, Saundersfoot, Tenby, Manorbier, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. One train to London also calls at Lamphey, Penally, Kilgetty and Narberth,
London Paddington to Newquay (Summer only)	1	Reading, Pewsey (Sunday), Westbury, (Saturday), Castle Cary (Monday-Friday and Sunday), Taunton, Tiverton Parkway (Monday-Friday), Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot (Monday-Friday and Sunday), Totnes (Monday-Friday and Sunday), Plymouth, Saltash (Monday-Friday), St Germans (Monday-Friday), Liskeard (Monday-Friday and Sunday), Bodmin Parkway (Monday-Friday and Sunday), Lostwithiel, Par and Newquay.
Plymouth to Newquay (Summer Saturdays only)	1 (w/b only)Template:Clarify	Saltash, St Germans, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par and Newquay.
London Paddington to Paignton	6	Either via Bristol TM or Berks & Hants line. Then: Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre, Torquay, Paignton. One service each way calls at Starcross and Exeter St Thomas, and then skips Tiverton Parkway. Other services in the summer also call at Dawlish Warren.

Commuter and local routes

Great Western Railway operates commuter services between London and destinations such as Slough, Greenford, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester and Banbury. There are also services between Reading and Basingstoke; between Reading and Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Dorking Deepdene on the North Downs Line; and between Bristol and Cardiff via Newport.

Trains also run on various north-south routes from Cardiff, Gloucester and Worcester to Taunton, Weymouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton. Many of these run via Bristol. The company also runs trains on local routes including branch lines in Devon and Cornwall, such as the Looe, Newquay, Falmouth and St Ives branch lines in Cornwall; the Exmouth, Paignton and Barnstaple branch lines in Devon; and the Gunnislake branch line in Devon and Cornwall.

Thames Valley Locals
Line	Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Great Western Main Line	London Paddington to Didcot Parkway	2	Ealing Broadway, Southall (London-bound only), Hayes and Harlington, West Drayton, Iver, Langley, Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading, Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Goring and Streatley, Cholsey	387
	London Paddington to Reading	2	Ealing Broadway, Southall (Reading-bound only), Hayes and Harlington, West Drayton, Slough, Burnham, Taplow, Maidenhead, Twyford
Greenford branch	West Ealing to Greenford	2	Drayton Green, Castle Bar Park, South Greenford	165
Windsor branch	Slough to Windsor & Eton Central	3	shuttle	165
Marlow branch	Maidenhead to Marlow	1	Furze Platt, Cookham, Bourne End	165
Regatta Line	Twyford to Henley-on-Thames	2	Wargrave, Shiplake	165
Berks & Hants	London Paddington to Bedwyn	1	Reading, Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford 11 trains per day, giving hourly service for most of the day	800
	Reading to Newbury	1	Reading West, Theale, Aldermaston, Midgham, Thatcham, Newbury Racecourse	387
Reading–Basingstoke line	Reading to Basingstoke	2	Reading West, Mortimer, Bramley	166
North Downs Line	Reading to Gatwick Airport	1	Wokingham, Blackwater, North Camp, Guildford, Dorking West, Dorking Deepdene, Reigate, Redhill	165
	Reading to Redhill	1	Wokingham, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Blackwater, Farnborough North, North Camp, Ash, Guildford, Shalford, Chilworth (1tp2h), Gomshall (1tp2h), Dorking Deepdene, Betchworth (1tp2h), Reigate
Oxford Canal Line	Didcot Parkway to Oxford	2	Appleford (infrequent), Culham (infrequent), Radley (roughly hourly) Roughly 1tp2h extended to Banbury, calling at Heyford, Tackley, Kings Sutton	165
Bristol & West Locals
Line	Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Severn Beach Line	Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth (and Severn Beach)	3tp2h	Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton One train per 2 hours extend to Severn Beach, calling at St Andrews Road All trains Bristol bound terminate at Bristol Temple Meads barring two services on a Sunday that terminate at Taunton. One train on Sunday forms Exeter St Davids – Avonmouth, another forms Taunton – Avonmouth and another runs Weston-super-Mare – Severn Beach.	165, 166
Heart of Wessex Line	Great Malvern to Westbury	1tp2h (roughly)	Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Cam and Dursley, Yate, Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Bristol Temple Meads, Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge Hourly service exists between Gloucester and Westbury, with Great Malvern and Weymouth extensions approximately every two hours, with some trains doing both and some doing neither. Additional southward extensions from Westbury are 1 train per day to Frome and 1 train per day to Brighton.	158, 165, 166
	Gloucester to Weymouth	1tp2h (roughly)	Cam and Dursley, Yate, Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Bristol Temple Meads, Keynsham, Oldfield Park, Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey Hourly service exists between Gloucester and Westbury, with Great Malvern and Weymouth extensions approximately every two hours, with some trains doing both and some trains doing neither.
TransWilts Line	Swindon to Westbury	1tp2h (roughly)	Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge One train per day extended to and from Frome; trains also use the Golden Valley Line between Gloucester and Swindon on extensions: one morning service from Gloucester to Southampton as well as a service to Cheltenham Spa from Westbury and one evening service from Cheltenham Spa to Southampton and another Westbury to Cheltenham Spa.	158, 165, 166
South Wales – Somerset	Cardiff Central to Taunton	1	Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Patchway, Bristol Temple Meads, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Highbridge & Burnham, Bridgwater One train per day extends to Exeter St Davids, one to Paignton and one to Penzance. On Sundays, most trains start at Bristol Temple Meads and terminate at Taunton. At peak times, train stops at Bedminster and Parson Street additionally	43, 158
	Bristol Parkway to Weston-super-Mare	1	Filton Abbey Wood, Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill, Bristol Temple Meads, Bedminster, Parson Street, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Worle, Weston Milton Some services originate or terminate in Taunton, one per day originates in Exeter St Davids. Some services originate in Bristol Temple Meads when heading southward. On Sundays, this service doesn't exist. Instead there is a single Cheltenham Spa – Taunton service and a single Worcester Shrub Hill – Taunton service and a return Taunton – Bristol Parkway train.	165, 166
Wessex Main Line	Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour	1	Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Patchway, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Trowbridge, Bradford-upon-Avon, Westbury, Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey, Southampton Central, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea Limited service at Patchway, Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Dilton Marsh. On Sundays Keynsham and Oldfield Park are regular stops for most trains.	150, 158, 165, 166
Golden Valley Line	Swindon to Cheltenham Spa	1tp2h	Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, Gloucester This service alternates with a London – Cheltenham express service to give hourly service between Swindon and Cheltenham.	150, 158, 165, 166
Devon Locals
Line	Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Avocet Line	Exmouth to Exeter St Davids	2	Lympstone Village, Lympstone Commando, Exton, Topsham, Newcourt, Digby and Sowton, Polsloe Bridge, St James Park, Exeter Central 1tph reverses at Exeter St Davids and continues to Paignton. 1tph continues to Barnstaple	143, 150
Riviera Line	Exeter St Davids to Paignton	2	Exeter St Thomas, Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torre, Torquay 1tph reverses at Exeter St Davids and continues to Exmouth	143, 150
Tarka Line	Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple	1	Newton St Cyres, Crediton, Yeoford, Copplestone, Morchard Road, Lapford, Eggesford, King's Nympton, Portsmouth Arms, Umberleigh, Chapelton 1tph continues to Exmouth	143, 150
Cornish Locals
Line	Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Atlantic Coast Line	Par to Newquay	1tp2h	Luxulyan, Bugle, Roche, St Columb Road, Quintrell Downs During summer, local services are cut on certain days which are replaced by expresses to and from London which run non-stop between Par and Newquay.	150
Looe Valley Line	Liskeard to Looe	1	Coombe Junction Halt, St Keyne Wishing Well Halt, Causeland, Sandplace	150
Maritime Line	Truro to Falmouth Docks	2	Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere, Falmouth Town	150
St Ives Bay Line	St Erth to St Ives	2	Lelant Saltings, Lelant, Carbis Bay	150
Tamar Valley Line	Plymouth to Gunnislake	1tp2h	Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham, St Budeaux Victoria Road, Bere Ferrers, Bere Alston, Calstock	150
Cornish Main Line	Plymouth to Penzance	1	Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham, St Budeaux Ferry Road, Saltash, St Germans, Menheniot, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle, St Erth	43, 150, 158

See also

• Great Western Railway, a railway company that existed from 1833 to 1948

External links

• Official website

Preceded by InterCity As part of British Rail	Operator of Great Western franchise 1996–2006
Preceded by First Great Western Great Western franchise	Operator of Greater Western franchise 2006 – present	Incumbent
Preceded by First Great Western Link Thames franchise
Preceded by Wessex Trains Wessex franchise