locomotives was named after Glastonbury Festival supremo Michael Eavis and right, a locomotive was also named after legendary figure Harry Patch
the West’s electric revolution The massive fleet upgrade announced by GWR will see new or more modern trains, all with free WiFi, on every area of the network The £7.5 billion project will slash the average age of First Great Western’s train fleet by more than half – and also help to create three million additional seats across the network. The train operator is also recruiting extra members of customer-facing staff, and the introduction of dedicated Customer Ambassadors at key stations across the route to help customers with local information, directions and onward travel options. Independent research conducted for the South West Economic Regional Develop Agency (now LEPs) has shown that electrification will boost the South West economy by £120m per year alone. At the time of the relaunch as GWR in September, managing director Mark Hopwood said:
“This investment represents a historic milestone for us and so it was a perfect opportunity to launch the Great Western Railway once again. “We are committed to improving the journeys of our passengers, as well as the economic prosperity and social footprint of the regions and communities we serve. “It’s a new dawn for our railway and we’re excited to be at the helm.” FirstGroup Chief Executive Tim O‘Toole said: “FirstGroup is the proud operator of GWR, a railway steeped in years of tradition, and our new brand for the franchise represents this strong heritage.” In an updated progress report last week on the electrification project Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy gave revised dates of when work would be completed. It is now thought that the electrification will reach Bristol Parkway by December 2018 but WBG-E01-S2
Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, gave an update on electrification project last week
work to connect Bristol Temple Meads may not be completed until April 2020. Network Rail has been beset by difficulties during the electrification project, most notably with underground signals installed in the 1970s not being reliably mapped. Mechanical piling operation carried out during the project has already twice severed signal cables, sparking delays for train operators and passengers. The first tranche of new Hitachi trains that GWR has ordered can operate in diesel and electric mode, but the purely electric second tranche will not be able to run on the line until electrification is complete. Passengers may have to wait longer than anticipated to benefit from the reduced journey times, but the biggest investment in the region’s railways in generations remains a boon for West Country businesses and passengers alike.
THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - GWR 25