Franchise(s):	Great Western 1998 – 31. March 2006 Greater Western 1. April 2006 – 2013
Main region(s):	South West England, South Wales, Thames Valley
Other region(s):	Cotswolds
Fleet size:	117 Class 43 for 58 High Speed Train Sets 3 Class 180 Adelante sets 36 Class 165 Network Turbo sets 21 Class 166 Network Express Turbo sets 19 Class 158 Express Sprinter sets 12 Class 153 Super-Sprinter sets 22 Class 150 Sprinter sets 12 Class 142 Pacer sets 8 Class 143 Pacer sets 4 Class 57 diesel locomotives
Stations called at:	210 operated and over 270 called at
National Rail abbreviation:	FGW
Parent company:	First Group
Web site:	www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd,^[1] a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales. South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales The Thames Valley generally implies the region that drains into the River Thames (the Thames catchment) from west of Cirencester to London See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" The British Rail Class 43 is the classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars built by BREL from 1976 to 1982 The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. The Class 180 "Adelante" is a type of British Diesel multiple unit built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham The British Rail Class 165 "Network Turbo" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-92 The British Rail Class 166 "Network Express Turbo" Diesel multiple units (also known as just "Thames Turbos") were built by A British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU train built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by The British Rail Class 153 " Sprinter " is a single-car Diesel multiple unit train The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL from 1984 - 87. The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. The British Rail Class 143 is a Diesel multiple unit, part of the Pacer family of Trains introduced between 1985 & 1986 The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located There are a number of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA

On 1 April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains combined into the new Greater Western Franchise. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services on a franchise basis from Paddington Station Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. First were announced as the operator of the combined franchise in December 2005 for a 10-year period. ^[2]

First Great Western operate high speed services between London Paddington, Cotswolds, South Wales and the Westcountry. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region They also operate commuter services in London and the Thames Valley and local services in the south west. First Great Western operate 210 stations and call at over 270. ^[3]

First Great Western operate a large fleet of diesel trains. High Speed services are operated by Class 43 HST train sets with MK3 coaches which are supplemented by three Class 180 Adelante DMUs. For Thames Valley services Class 165 and 166 Turbo trains are used. For local services in the South West a variety of 2 and 3 car DMUs are used.

Contents 1 History 1.1 First Great Western (1998-2006) 1.2 First Great Western Link (2004-2006) 1.3 Wessex Trains (2001-2006) 1.4 First Greater Western (Present Day) 1.5 Routes 1.5.1 Intercity routes 1.5.2 Commuter routes 1.5.3 Local routes 2 Livery 2.1 Livery Gallery 3 Management and operations 4 Performance 5 Controversy 6 Rolling stock 6.1 High Speed Services 6.1.1 Class 43 High Speed Train 6.1.2 Class 57/6 6.1.3 Class 180 Adelante 6.2 Thames Valley 6.2.1 Class 165 Thames Turbo 6.2.2 Class 166 Thames Express Turbo 6.3 West of England 6.3.1 Class 142 Pacer 6.3.2 Class 143 Pacer 6.3.3 Class 150/1 Sprinter 6.3.4 Class 150/2 Sprinter 6.3.5 Class 153 Sprinter 6.3.6 Class 158 Express Sprinter 7 Fleet Refurbishment 7.1 High Speed Train Fleet 7.2 Thames Valley Fleet 7.3 West of England Fleet 8 References 9 See also 10 External links

History

First Great Western (1998-2006)

In 1998, the bus operator First Group acquired and rebranded Great Western Trains as First Great Western. Great Western Trains was formed as part of the Privatisation of British Rail. ^[4] First Great Western consisted of the express services out of London Paddington to the West of England (Bristol, Exeter, Penzance) and South Wales (Cardiff).

Great Western Trains was formed as part of the privatisation of British Rail. ^[5] As with all of the original franchises, Great Western was formed as a division of British Rail prior to the franchise being let. The sector consisted of the express services out of London Paddington to the West of England (Bristol, Exeter, Penzance) and South Wales (Cardiff).

First Great Western Link (2004-2006)

First Great Western Link was the former Go-Ahead Group operated Thames Trains franchise which had been operated since April 2004 by First Group. The Go-Ahead Group plc ( is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries Thames Trains was a British railway company franchised (from September 1996, following the Privatisation of British Rail, until 31 March First Great Western Link provided train services from Paddington Station to destinations such as Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester and Banbury. Train services are also provided from Reading to Gatwick Airport (via Guildford and Dorking), and from Reading to Basingstoke. ^[6]

The Thames Valley routes were initially privatised in the mid 1990s and sold partly to the managers who had operated the trains under the nationalised British Rail and partly to Go Ahead Group. They later passed the company under the sole control of Go Ahead Group, who operated them as Thames Trains. The Go-Ahead Group plc ( is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries Thames Trains was a British railway company franchised (from September 1996, following the Privatisation of British Rail, until 31 March ^[7]

Wessex Trains (2001-2006)

Wessex Trains came into being on 14 October 2001 when the former Wales and West and Valley Lines franchises were reorganised. Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Wales and West Passenger Trains Ltd took on the trading name of Wessex Trains and the operation of services in southwest England. Wessex Trains ran the majority of local trains in the South West. They did not run the high-speed long distance trains.

First Greater Western (Present Day)

On 1 April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains combined into the new Greater Western franchise. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services on a franchise basis from Paddington Station Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. Three companies — First Group plc, National Express Group PLC, and Stagecoach Group— were short-listed to bid for this new franchise. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations On 13 December 2005 it was announced that First Group had won the franchise. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[2] The new franchise has kept the name First Great Western. Originally, First planned to subdivide its services into the following three categories. ^[8] However, following feedback from staff and stakeholders, the decision was taken to re-brand and re-livery all services as just 'First Great Western'^[9]

Routes

Intercity routes

First Great Western operate InterCity services to and from London Paddington. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station These services operate to Cardiff Central via Bristol Parkway with an hourly continuation to Swansea, Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads, Exeter & Plymouth, with five trains daily running beyond Plymouth to Penzance in Cornwall, Cheltenham & Gloucester and Worcester/Hereford/Great Malvern. Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. Bristol Parkway railway station is a Railway station on the northern edge of Bristol, England, at Stoke Gifford in South Gloucestershire Swansea railway station is the Railway station serving Swansea, Wales. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Cheltenham Spa railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, located on the main Bristol-Birmingham Gloucester railway station (formerly known as Gloucester Central station serves the city of Gloucester. For a history of railways in Hereford see Railways in Hereford. Great Malvern railway station is situated close to the centre of Great Malvern, England. First Great Western also provides a limited number of intercity services to Paignton, Newquay (summer Saturdays and Sundays only), Carmarthen, Pembroke Dock (summer Saturdays only), Oxford, Worcester, and Hereford. Paignton (ˈpeɪntən is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the Unitary authority of Newquay (Tewynn Pleustri is a town Civil parish, Seaside resort and Fishing port on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, Carmarthen ( Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum is the County town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. Pembroke Dock ( Doc Penfro) is a Town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. First Great Western withdrew its services to Fishguard Harbour in 2003. First Great Western operate a number of named passenger trains, including: The Bristolian (London-Bristol), Cathedrals Express (London-Hereford), Cheltenham Spa Express (London-Cheltenham), Cornish Riviera Express (London-Penzance), The Golden Hind (London-Penzance), The Mayflower (London-Plymouth), Night Riviera (London-Penzance "sleeper"), The Red Dragon (London-Swansea), The Royal Duchy (London-Penzance)and The Saint David (London-Swansea). In the history of Rail transport, dating back to the 19th Century there have been literally hundreds of named passenger trains. The Bristolian is a named passenger train service from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. The Cheltenham Spa Express is a British named passenger train service from Paddington station, in London to Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire The Cornish Riviera Express is an express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom since 1904 Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives The company operated the last Motorail service, as part of the London Paddington–Penzance Night Riviera overnight sleeper service. Motorail is a Rail transport service where passengers can take their Automobile along with them on their journey Penzance (Pensans also Penzans, IPA: /pɛnˈzæns/ is a town Civil parish, and Port in the Penwith district of Cornwall Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives This was withdrawn at the end of the summer season in 2005 due to low usage.

Commuter routes

First Great Western operate commuter services from London Paddington to destinations such as Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester and Banbury. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Newbury is a Civil parish and the principal Town in the west of the County of Berkshire in England. Great Bedwyn is a Village and Civil parish in the east of the English county of Wiltshire. Hereford ( ˈhɛrɨfəd is a city, Civil parish and County town of Herefordshire, England. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Banbury is a Market town located on the River Cherwell in northern Oxfordshire, England. Train services are also provided from Reading to Basingstoke, Gatwick Airport via Guildford and Dorking Deepdene, Bristol to Newport and Cardiff, and from Oxford to Bicester Town. Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, England It lies across a Valley at the source of the River Loddon. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Guildford ( IPA /ˈgɪlfəd/ is the County town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the Dorking (Deepdene railway station is in Surrey.The station and all trains serving it are operated by First Great Western. Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England.

Local routes

First Great Western run the majority of local trains in the South West.

Local trains run on a range of north-south routes from Cardiff, Gloucester and Worcester in the north to Taunton, Weymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton in the south. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Taunton is the County town of Somerset, England. The Unparished area (or former Municipal borough) of Taunton has a Population Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Many of these services run via Bristol, which acts as the hub of the network. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The company also runs the local routes and branch lines in Devon and Cornwall, such as the Newquay and St Ives holiday lines, and the Devon network of branches to Exmouth, Paignton and Barnstaple. Newquay (Tewynn Pleustri is a town Civil parish, Seaside resort and Fishing port on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, St Ives (Porth Ia is a seaside town, Civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Routes operated include Great Western Main Line (Cardiff-Bristol-Weston-super-Mare-Exeter-Plymouth-Penzance), South Wales Main Line (Swindon-Bristol-Cardiff), Wessex Main Line (Cardiff-Bristol-Bath-Salisbury-Southampton-Portsmouth or Brighton), Atlantic Coast Line (Par-Newquay), Avocet Line (Exeter-Exmouth), Golden Valley Line (Swindon-Gloucester), Heart of Wessex Line (Westbury-Weymouth), Looe Valley Line (Liskeard-Looe), Maritime Line (Truro-Falmouth), Riviera Line (Exeter-Paignton), Severn Beach Line (Bristol-Avonmouth-Severn Beach), St Ives Bay Line (St. Alphaline was a sub-brand of British Rail during the 1990s Origins The brand was introduced for express services operated by the Regional Railways division The Great Western Main Line is a main line Railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington station to Temple Meads History The original route of the Great Western Railway between London and South Wales left the Bristol-bound Great Western Main Line at Swindon proceeding via The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. The Atlantic Coast Line is a Community railway line in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The Avocet Line is the railway line from Exeter to Exmouth, England. The Golden Valley Line is a railway line from Swindon to Standish Junction, which is just south of Gloucester, UK. The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury The Looe Valley Line is an community railway from Liskeard to Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that follows the valley of the The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro (the county town to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall The Riviera Line is a local railway line that connects the city of Exeter to the "English Riviera" resorts of Torbay in Devon, England The Severn Beach Line is a local Railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the The St Ives Bay Line is a railway line from St Erth to St Ives in Cornwall, UK. Erth-St. Ives), Tamar Valley Line (Plymouth-Gunnislake), Tarka Line (Exeter-Barnstaple) and Trans Wilts Line (Trowbridge-Westbury). The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The Tarka Line (named after the animal hero in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter) is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton.

Livery

The first version of the First Great Western livery was a modified version of the Great Western livery, with fader vinyls over the ivory, it also introduced a gold bar containing the First Group "F" and Great Western logos. A vinyl compound is any Organic compound that contains a vinyl group (also called ethenyl) &minus C[[Hydrogen H]] =CH sub>2 For other uses see Ivory (disambiguation. Ivory is an off-white color that resembles Ivory, the material out of which the Teeth and Initially the "Intercity" branding was retained with the new livery. The power cars carried the First Group Logo. ^[10]

When the Class 180 Adelante units were delivered, they were painted in the intercity version of First Group corporate livery. This consisted of a blue base, with purple and gold bars and large pink "F"s. The doors were painted white to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995 is a UK parliamentary act of 1995, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against people in respect of their The HST fleet was repainted to match as they went through overhaul, however the livery on the power cars has been altered, following problems with dirt build up on the large white areas. ^[11]

The rolling stock used on the Night Riviera sleeper service retained the original green and gold First Great Western livery until the stock forming these services was refurblished in 2007 when they were painted into 'dynamic lines' livery with vinyls advertising that the coaches operated the 'Night Riviera Sleeper'. Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives

The new franchise involved repainting the HST fleet into First Group’s new 'dynamic lines' livery for Intercity and Communter services in the former First Great Western and First Great Western Link areas. The livery was applied to the HST fleet as they went through refurblishment but the Class 180 units will not be repainted as they are going off lease. The commuter units are being repainted into the new livery while receiving standard maintenance as a refurbishment was not originally planned. ^[12] A second livery is being applied to the DMU fleet. This is very similar to the livery used on other services but the 'Dynamic Lines' are replaced by names of local attractions forming the shape of 'Dynamic Lines'. Nearly the entire local lines fleet is now in the new livery, with the rest due to a repaint when they are refurbished. ^[13]

Livery Gallery

First's original FGW green and gold livery, (known as 'Fag Packet') on a Mark 3 sleeper Coach used by the Night Riviera. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA A Sleeper Either Class, often abbreviated to SLE, is a type of Railway carriage used by British Rail. Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives This livery was replaced in 2002, but remains on some carriages of the Night Riveira sleeper service.	First's blue and pink second FGW livery (known as 'Barbie') on a Mark 3 coach. Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available This livery was used until the new franchise was created.	First's most recent dynamic lines livery on a Mark 3 coach. Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available This livery has been used since the new franchise was created.	The old Thames Trains livery remains on this Class 166 as with most trains running the Commuter services along the Thames Valley. Thames Trains was a British railway company franchised (from September 1996, following the Privatisation of British Rail, until 31 March The British Rail Class 166 "Network Express Turbo" Diesel multiple units (also known as just "Thames Turbos") were built by The Thames Valley generally implies the region that drains into the River Thames (the Thames catchment) from west of Cirencester to London These will be repainted and will soon carry the dynamic lines livery
This Class 165 has been repainted to carry the dynamic lines livery. The British Rail Class 165 "Network Turbo" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-92	A First Great Western Class 153 in the new Local Lines livery which will be worn by former Wessex Trains services. Looking closely, the lines are actually Tourist attractions, schools and other locations in the Wessex area.

Management and operations

First Great Western have three major depots: Old Oak Common, two miles from Paddington; Laira in Plymouth; and St Phillips Marsh, near Bristol Temple Meads, with smaller depots at Penzance, Landore and Exeter. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England

The current Managing Director of First Great Western is Andrew Haines (though technically Chief Operating officer, as he is already First Group UK Rail Director), who replaced Alison Forster in September 2007 after criticisms of the way the service was run. ^[14] Other directors are James Burt (Customer Service), Graham Boot-Handford (Engineering), Ben Caswell (Finance), Kevin Gale (Trains), Tom Stables (Commercial Services) and Dawn Murphy (Human Resources). The chairman is Charles Howeson who replaced Sir Chay Blyth in November 2007. Sir Charles Blyth, CBE, BEM (born 14 May 1940) known as Chay Blyth, is a Scottish Yachtsman and ^[15] Andrew Haines has appointed three route directors to help with the day to day running of the company, they are; John Curley (West Region), Mark Hopwood (High Speed Services) and Mike Carroll (East Region). Previous Managing Directors have included Alison Forster (now director of safety at First Group), Chris Kinchin-Smith, Mike Carroll (who is now East Region route director) and Dr Mike Mitchell (now Director General of Railways at the Department for Transport). In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department ^[16]

Performance

After being so for a long time, First Great Western is no longer the worst performing UK rail operator. The latest rail performance statistics show that in terms of moving annual average (MAA), National Express East Coast had the worst performing figures with a MAA of 82. National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which 6% over the 12 months up to the end of March 2008 compared with 83. 1% for First Great Western. For the last 4 weeks up to the end of March First Great Western achieved 87. 0%, better than National Express East Coast (85. 0%) and Richard Branson's Virgin Trains. Virgin Trains is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, which currently provides services from London Euston to the North West (85. 5%). ^[17]

First Great western recently admitted to miscalculating the number of cancellations in the period from August to December 2007, with revised figures showing the company to have breached the cancellation threshold in the franchise contract. ^[18]

Not all delays are attributable to First Great Western. In September 2007 the ORR defended its position to allow Network Rail an additional 2 months to fix infrastructure problems before imposing enforcement action and fines due to their performance [5]. The ORR also ststed that the First Great Western train service "continues to suffer from very high levels of delays attributed to Network Rail" and had described Network Rail's performance as being "exceptionally disappointing".

Poor performance is nothing new to First Great Western as in 1999 former subsidiary First North Western had performance figures dropping as low as 45% punctuality (90% target) partly due to insufficient rolling stock. First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England ^[19] That was then followed by lengthy industrial action by First North Western staff in 2000 with very few replacement buses.

Controversy

First Great Western is famous for its poor service levels and has been polled as being the worst rail franchise in the UK, coming bottom of a passenger satisfaction league table. ^[20]

The company consulted on a new timetable due to be introduced in December 2006. Campaigners accused the company of cutting evening commuter services, but First Great Western denied this.

In December 2006/January 2007 First Great Western were responsible for a great number of cancellations and delays each day, mainly attributed to shortages in train crew or a lack of serviceable trains, leaving some branch lines with just bus services, and some areas with little service at all.

From 1 January-10 January 2007 First Great Western removed all trains from the St Ives and Looe branch lines in Cornwall (which normally have a class 153 each in winter), so that they could use them for extending services around Bristol. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London

• From 2-5 January, First Great Western decided to shorten some of the local DMU fleet to try and cut down on the amount of cancellations and lack of serviceable trains. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.
• On 9 January 2007 First Great Western announced some timetable changes, in response to customer complaints about overcrowding on local trains^[21]

• On 22 January commuters on the Bath-Bristol service staged a protest about overcrowding, issuing participants with imitation tickets printed with "Ticket type: standing only", "Class: cattle truck", "Destination: to hell and back", "Price: up 12%". Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. The company threatened protestors with criminal prosecution and fines of £5,000, but staff failed to enforce ticket requirements. ^[22]
• On 24 January, Alison Forster, First Great Western's Managing Director, apologised to its customers about its recent problems. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled ^[23] She has also prompted a debate in the House of Commons following the timetable changes. ^[24]

First Group announced on 6 September 2007 changes to their management structure, apparently designed to strengthen the First Great Western commuter services. Anthony Smith, head of the rail users council, Passenger Focus, commented, "A fresh management approach is welcome. Clearly, looking at the passenger satisfaction scores for First Great Western, the train company and Network Rail have a lot to do. However, passengers will believe it when they see improvements. "^[25]

In 2004-2005, 79. 6% of trains arrived on time (defined as within 10 minutes of their scheduled arrival time). ^[26] On 22 December 2006, First Great Western InterCity service was declared the worst in Britain for delays, according to figures from the Office of Rail Regulation, with more than one in four trains running late. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[27] First was also the only train company actually to achieve a year-on-year fall in performance results.

At the same time, Network Rail, the Infrastructure provider, has been heavily criticised by the rail regulator (the ORR) for their performance on Great Western Routes, being described as "exceptionally disappointing". ^[28] In September 2007 they were given a further 2 months to improve performance before enforcement action and fines would be imposed.

In January 2008 another fare strike was held as a passenger group said that not enough improvements have been made. Although First had announced that 2008 season tickets and car parking charges would be frozen until the end of the year.

In February 2008 the Secretary of State for Transport stated that FGW had “fallen persistently short of customers’ expectations and been unacceptable to both passengers and government”. She issued First Great Western with a Breach Notice for misreporting cancellations and a Remedial Plan Notice as a result of exceptionally high levels of cancellations and low passenger satisfaction. As part of the Remedial Plan Notice First Great Western must achieve improvement milestones and specifically lease five more Class 150 units to allow three car trains to be used on Portsmouth-Cardiff services, undertake a much more extensive refurbishment of the Thames Turbo fleet, offer 50% higher compensation for the duration of the franchise, offer 500,000 more cheap tickets on off-peak services and improve station customer information systems. Failure to do this will result in FGW losing their franchise. First Group’s railway operating profit, meanwhile, was reported to have risen 10% in the six months to September 2007^[29][30]

Rolling stock

High Speed Services

Class 43 High Speed Train

First Great Western use their large fleet of 43 HST sets^[31] to operate most long-distance services from Paddington to destinations such as Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Cheltenham, Oxford, Worcester, Hereford, Plymouth and Penzance. Not all of the fleet is leased, with some sets having been bought outright by First.

Class 57/6

A small fleet of four Class 57/6 locomotives are used to operate the Night Riviera Sleeper services and provide emergency haulage for failed HST sets. They were painted in First Great Western green and gold livery but are being repainted into the same livery as the Class 43 powercars.

Class 180 Adelante

The fourteen Class 180 ‘Adelante’ diesel multiple units were built by Alstom and entered service in 2002. The Class 180 "Adelante" is a type of British Diesel multiple unit built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham Alstom ( is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and Transport markets They are used for semi-fast services requiring 125 mph operation, supplementing the Thames Turbos. Eventually they will all be replaced with refurbished HSTs on their current duties. ^[32]

The entire fleet was to be withdrawn by the end of 2007, due to their poor reliability, this was put back 2 months until the late-running HST Refresh programme had been finished. ^[33] From 2008, units started to go into storage. Units 180101, 180102, 180103, 180105, 180106, 180107, 180110,^[34] 180111,^[35] 180112,^[36] 180113 and 180114^[37] have entered storage at either Oxley or Crofton depots, with the rest to follow in due course.

However, FGW are keeping 3 units (1 spare, and a 2x5 car train) until an additional HST comes from East Midlands Trains later in the year. This HST is being cascaded to FGW because the Adelantes going to Hull Trains will release a "Pioneer" to go to East Midlands Trains, which will in turn make available the HST for FGW. Performance The latest performance figures for First Hull Trains to be released by the ORR as of the fourth quarter of the financial year 2007/8 are 88 East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. Once this HST arrives, it will be refreshed, and entered into service. The three Adelantes will then be taken out of service.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 43 High Speed Train		diesel locomotive	125	200	117[38]	All Intercity Routes except Night Riviera Sleeper	1976 - 1982 2005 - 2008 (Refurbished)
Class 57/6		diesel locomotive	95	152	4	Sleeper Service: London Paddington - Penzance Emergency HST Hauling	1997 - 2004
Class 180 Adelante		diesel multiple unit	125	200	3	London Paddington - Bristol Temple Meads via Bath Spa London Paddington - Exeter via Pewsey London Paddington - Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa (via the Golden Valley Line) London Paddington - Hereford	2000 - 2001
Mark 3 Coach		Passenger Rolling stock	125	200	464	All Intercity Routes	1972 - 1988 2006-8(Refreshed)

Thames Valley

Class 165 Thames Turbo

The Class 165 "Thames Turbo" is a two or three coach DMU used on shorter distance services in the Thames Valley area such as those from Paddington to Greenford, Reading and Oxford (stopping services). The British Rail Class 43 is the classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars built by BREL from 1976 to 1982 A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. The British Rail Class 57 Diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004 A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. The Class 180 "Adelante" is a type of British Diesel multiple unit built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel Copyrighted image says to use a freer equivalent wherever one is available This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado The British Rail Class 165 "Network Turbo" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-92 A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station They are also used on the Henley and Windsor branches and services between Reading and Greenford or Gatwick Airport, Newbury to Reading services and the North Downs Line. Route From a junction with the Great Western Main Line at Twyford railway station, it turns north and goes under the A4 on its way to its next Services Trains along this line are operated by First Great Western and run every 30 minutes in each direction for most of the day increasing to roughly every The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Class 165 units are often brought in to operate Cotswold Line services when a HST or Adelante has failed. Route Towns and villages served by stations on the line are listed below from east to west The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. The Class 180 "Adelante" is a type of British Diesel multiple unit built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham They are based at Reading Traction Maintenance Depot. Reading TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Reading, England, and operated by First Great Western. All Class 165 units have received First Great Western Neon Dynamic Lines livery.

Class 166 Thames Express Turbo

The Class 166 "Thames Express Turbo" is a three coach DMU, which is similar to the Class 165 units but with an internal layout more suited to use on longer distance services. The British Rail Class 166 "Network Express Turbo" Diesel multiple units (also known as just "Thames Turbos") were built by A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 165 "Network Turbo" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-92 The main way to distinguish a Class 166 unit from a Class 165 unit is that Class 166 units have a First Class section at each end of the train and are always formed of three coaches. They are used on services from Paddington to Bedwyn and Oxford. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station The Class 166s can also be found on Reading to Basingstoke, North Downs Line and other routes. The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton They used to operate services on the Cotswold Line but these are now operated by HST trains although Class 166s can operate these services if a HST fails. Route Towns and villages served by stations on the line are listed below from east to west The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. They are based at Reading Traction Maintenance Depot. Reading TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Reading, England, and operated by First Great Western. All Class 166 units have received First Great Western Neon Dynamic Lines livery.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 165/1 Network Turbo		diesel multiple unit	90	145	36	Local Services out of Paddington	1992
Class 166 Network Express Turbo		diesel multiple unit	90	145	21	Reading - Basingstoke Reading - Gatwick Local services out of Paddington	1992 - 1993

West of England

Class 142 Pacer

First Great Western operate 12 Class 142 units on Devon branchlines. The British Rail Class 165 "Network Turbo" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-92 A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 166 "Network Express Turbo" Diesel multiple units (also known as just "Thames Turbos") were built by A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. They started operation in December 2007 as 10 Class 158s from were returned to leasing company Angel Trains and have since been leased to First Scotrail and East Midlands Trains (Four former Central Trains 158s that had been subleased from Northern Rail have also been returned. First ScotRail is the Brand under which FirstGroup runs its Railway franchise to operate all domestic Passenger services within East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. Central Trains was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, running local and long-distance services in central England. Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England )

Class 143 Pacer

First Great Western inherited the small fleet of 7 two-coach Class 143 Pacer railbuses from Wessex Trains following the franchise merger in April 2006. The PACER project carried out at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the mid-1970s explored the possibility of a Fusion power system that would involve exploding small They are currently used on suburban services around Bristol, particularly on the Severn Beach Line. The Severn Beach Line is a local Railway in Bristol, UK. It runs from Narroways Hill Junction to Severn Beach, and is the successor to the The current livery is an advertising livery for Bristol, except for one unit which suffered a graffiti attack and was repainted in First Great Western blue with a First Group pink logo.

Class 150/1 Sprinter

First Great Western are to receive up to 10 Class 150/1 units from 2009 to replace Class 142 units temporarily brought in to cover for Class 158 units being lost. They will arrive gradually as they are released by London Midland, when they are replaced by Class 172 units. London Midland is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. The Class 172 is a planned Diesel multiple unit (DMU of the Turbostar family similar to the Class 168, Class 170 and Class 171 In addition to this First Great Western have received two units from Silverlink, these units that have already arrived are two extra units to help with the poor reliability of Class 143 units. Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom.

Class 150/2 Sprinter

The fleet of 17 Two coach Class 150 Sprinter units were inherited from Wessex Trains as part of the Greater Western franchise shuffle. The fleet was refurbished by Wessex Trains in 2003 with 2+2 seating arranged in a mixture of 'airline' (face to back) and table seating. The fleet is widespread throughout the former Wessex area and carries a maroon livery with advertising vinyls for South West Tourism. Each unit is sponsored by a district, town or attraction and carries a unique livery. Several are also named. Two units were repainted into the new First 'Local' livery but all others will get the new livery when they are refeshed, the new livery consists of a blue body, with pink doors and 3 lines of place names in First Group corporate colours. As part of a national fleet shuffle eight units went to Arriva Trains Wales on the 10 December 2006, and were replaced with 8 Class 158 units. Arriva Trains Wales (Trenau Arriva Cymru is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The fleet will receive an internal 'refresh' during 2007 or 2008 with a fully refreshed fleet in operation by September 2008.

First Great Western are to receive five extra Class 150/2 units in May 2007 Remedial Plan Notice, to enable three carriage Class 158 trains to operate on the Portsmouth-Cardiff services. ^[39] As of the 03-13 2008 two Class 150 sets have arrived from Arriva Trains Wales to allow the formation of the hybrid three car Class 158 units to start. ^[40]

Class 153 Sprinter

The Class 153 is a diesel railcar converted from a Class 155 two coach unit in the early 1990s. First Great Western have 12 which are used to strengthen services and on some of the quieter branch lines although stock shortages often see them operate on their own on busier routes. Two railcars were refurbished in early 2006 by Wessex Trains shortly before the franchise merger. The refurbishment of class 153s was completed in early June 2008.

Class 158 Express Sprinter

The Class 158 is a two-coach DMU (one 3 coach) used on regional services in the former Wessex Trains area. In February 2008 as part of their Remedial Plan Notice, First Great Western have announced they will form some hybrid 3-car Class 158 units in May 2008, made possible by the transfer of five Class 150/2 units from Arriva Trains Wales. Arriva Trains Wales (Trenau Arriva Cymru is a train operating company that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches ^[41] The first of these units; 158950 has been formed from 158761 and a carriage from 158751 and is operational now. ^[42]

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 142 Pacer		diesel multiple unit	75	120	12	Exeter Local Services	1985-1987
Class 143 Pacer		diesel multiple unit	75	120	8	Bristol Local services	1989 - 1992
Class 150/1 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	75	120	2 (10 by 2009)	Bristol Local Services	1984 - 1987
Class 150/2 Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	75	120	23[43]	Local services in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset & Dorset	1984 - 1987
Class 153 Super Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	75	120	12	Local services in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset & Dorset	1991 - 1992
Class 158 Express Sprinter		diesel multiple unit	90	145	17	Cardiff - Portsmouth/Brighton Bristol - Worcester and Great Malvern	1989 - 1992

Fleet Refurbishment

High Speed Train Fleet

In 2005 First Great Western announced that the High Speed Train fleet was to be re-engined and refurbished. The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 143 is a Diesel multiple unit, part of the Pacer family of Trains introduced between 1985 & 1986 A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL from 1984 - 87. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL from 1984 - 87. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 153 " Sprinter " is a single-car Diesel multiple unit train A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel A British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a Diesel multiple unit (DMU train built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel Upgrades included leather seats in First Class, redesigned toilets, a redesigned buffet and at-seat power points. After extensive research, FGW decided to opt for mainly airline seats (passengers liked the privacy, and did not like sitting next to four strangers). [19] This also increased the number of seats per train. The refurbishment began in 2006 with the first set being released in January 2007, the program was completed in February 2008, two months late. The refurbishment was carried out by Bombardier of Derby. [20] A trial took place which involved removing buffet cars from three HST sets that were only used on London–Bristol/Cardiff/Exeter journeys to see if an improved performance was possible. However, several sets without buffets ended up on long distance services. Furthermore, no performance improvements were made. There was also an incident with a trolley and hot water. Therefore, FGW have decided to retain all buffet cars. However, while the remaining buffet cars are being refreshed, a static trolley service is being provided Coach A or E - not at seat. After a trial in 2004, the powercars received new MTU engines, fitted by Brush Traction of Loughborough. The programme is now complete as the last power cars to be re-engined were released in April 2008. ^[44]

Thames Valley Fleet

As part of their Remedial Plan Notice, First Great Western have announced a much more thorough refurbishment of the Thames Turbo fleet than originally planned. The British Rail Class 166 "Network Express Turbo" Diesel multiple units (also known as just "Thames Turbos") were built by ^[45] The trains will have improved lighting, carpets and toilets, and a revised seating layout. ^[46] The trains have already been repainted into the dynamic line livery.

West of England Fleet

First Great Western announced that it planned to "refresh" the part of its fleet that operates services between Portsmouth and Cardiff, and also services in the West Country, in an £11m investment programme. [6].

The programme, which is due for completion in Autumn 2008, includes fitting of reupholstered seats, new lighting and floor coverings, CCTV within the passenger saloons and facelifted toilets. At the same time, the exterior of the vehicles are being repainted in the current FGW livery, including artwork depicting various local places of interest.

The refurbishment work is being carried out at a number of locations. Class 158 vehicles are being refurbished at Wabtec in Doncaster, Class 153 vehicles at Wabtec in Eastleigh and Class 143 and 150 vehicles at Pullman Rail's Cardiff Canton facility. Wabtec Corporation is an American company formed by the merger of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO and MotivePower Industries in 1999 ^[47]

References

• 43004 in original dynamic lines livery

See also

• Great Western Main Line
• Night Riviera
• First Great Western Link
• Wessex Trains
• Great Western Trains
• Great Western Railway

External links

• First Great Western
• Edited version of First Great Western's Passenger's Charter
• Railways Online Article on the Franchise
• SRA announcement of the parties qualified to bid
• First Great Western press release on the 2007 HST refurbishment
• Story reporting First Great Western poor performance
• Second story reporting First Great Western poor performance

Preceded by Great Western Trains	Operator of Great Western franchise 1998 - 2006	Succeeded by First Great Western Greater Western franchise
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

The Great Western Main Line is a main line Railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington station to Temple Meads Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services on a franchise basis from Paddington Station Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. Great Western Trains was formed as part of the Privatisation of British Rail. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Great Western Trains was formed as part of the Privatisation of British Rail. First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services on a franchise basis from Paddington Station Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England.

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