FGW Franchise

[Rapidash]

The 150 fleet in the Exeter area will, from 2018 be formed up into 3 and 4 car all day formations. The two 3 car 150/0 units will be moved down from Reading in Dec 2018 to replace the last two 150/1 units. Those will be the the 3 car workings, the others will be 2 x 150/2 units coupled.

Had it also confirmed that the odd two 150/2 cars will be reformed back into a usable two car set by the fitting of a toilet in one of them.

Cheers for that! Thats a nice boost in capacity, and will be very welcome in the peaks and summers!

 

[MidlandMainlie]

Deleted, just seen that Class377/5 has also mentioned Marlow non-wiring above.

Why is the Marlow branch not Boeing electrified?

 

[Metobusfan]

29x 387/1 and likely 365 not 319s is current thinking.

Wasn't some of the 319 fleet going to Gw

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Why is the Marlow branch not Boeing electrified?

Something about EMU train lengths being 3/4-car and the junction at Bourne End towards Marlow being too tight for other than 2-car trains.

 

[timbo58]

I think (having worked in all grades from steward -senior conductor myself onboard GW services) that the RMT are fighting the catering staffs side tooth & nail as they can clearly see a significant loss in membership from the catering grades ( i.e. no restaurants, no chefs, no chief stewards, no staff who can't work trolleys).

Trolleys are bloody hard work, they (as Goldfish & Flamingo correctly point out) are stuck the moment the service becomes busy or some idiot blocks they way with luggage, they are very heavy and restrict the number of applicants to catering grades that can work them, they will run out of hot water very quickly in the peak also.

e.g. FGW have had STD class trollies years ago: take a peak service BRI -PAD -the trolley would operate until Swindon when it would then be shuffling along hoping to be able to reach the buffet by Didcot, after Didcot -no chance.
So nearly 40% of the journey you have no service at all.

How about a long journey into Plymouth at 17.00 from Pad -currently you (presumably) have an HST with a restaurant (a very popular restaurant) which is ram packed until Reading/Pewsey then empty thereafter.

How is a trolley going to get through and make any money?
Answer: it isn't and FGW know this full well, they'll simply drive older staff away by offering them crap trolley jobs they won't/can't do and then they'll cut even deeper when they can justify these new trolley jobs don't pay their way.

Then it'll be the guards turn.

These trains often have CCTV systems for despatch the driver can operate -stage 1 is DOO and downgrade the guard to a ticket collector.

Stage 2 and the ticket collector doesn't have to work after xx.xx hours as there's little revenue to be saved.

Stage 3 and the ticket collectors all lose their jobs as all stations have barriers and those that don't aren't worth covering financially.

Don't worry about safety though as the trains all have CCTV so (as a passenger told me when pointing out 'Thames ran trains' after all FGW services had left London -Great! I can get raped AND get the video!), so all those nasty thugs/asbo kids and lunatics can simply do as they like.

Nightmare scenario?

Possibly -but a very real one IMHO.

FGW have been playing the Aslef V Rmt card for years, Aslef seem only interested in how much their drivers get paid and sod everyone else, or perhaps I'm being unfair?

 

[JaJaWa]

As it's what some of you will be most interested in - here's the new branding that will be rolled out across the fleet before September 2015.

 

[21C101]

Document says hourly Paddington to Exeter semi-fast from Dec 2018 and later in same document this says 2-hourly! Big difference...

And would appear to be going via Bath and Weston super mare as the document says that Hungerford and Bedwyn will lose through trains to Paddington and have a shuttle to Newbury, Pewsey will continue to have odd calls on long distance trains and Paddington to Exeter semi fasts via Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Weston and Taunton will run.

Plus the new Padd Plym/Penz supposedly non stop hourly service from Reading to Taunton will take 2h 9m, nine minutes slower than the Riviera despite new trains and only one more stop, at Taunton, than the riviera. So it appears some of them will also be stopping at Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary.

 

[timbo58]

I can't think the CEO & board will be happy without having the F-in circle in the logo.
I can hear the whining from here though -what do you mean there's no restaurant, eh? no bacon rolls! no hot water left!!
arrgghhhhh.

 

[swt_passenger]

Wasn't some of the 319 fleet going to Gw

Yes, originally - but that role effectively died a few years back, when NR recommended 110 or 125 mph units for Oxford and Newbury services in an RUS.

But it's pretty much academic because since the early posts in this thread (such as the one you replied to) exact numbers of 387s (37) and 365s (21) have been quoted by various online media stories.

 

[JaJaWa]

Wasn't some of the 319 fleet going to Gw

The Thameslink 319 I was on that told me we were approaching Reading West would agree!

 

[physics34]

As it's what some of you will be most interested in - here's the new branding that will be rolled out across the fleet before September 2015.

Impressive!!!!

 

[Kite159]

And would appear to be going via Bath and Weston super mare as the document says that Hungerford and Bedwyn will lose through trains to Paddington and have a shuttle to Newbury, Pewsey will continue to have odd calls on long distance trains and Paddington to Exeter semi fasts via Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Weston and Taunton will run.

Plus the new Padd Plym/Penz supposedly non stop hourly service from Reading to Taunton will take 2h 9m, nine minutes slower than the Riviera despite new trains and only one more stop, at Taunton, than the riviera. So it appears some of them will also be stopping at Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary.

I bet passengers from Bedwyn & Hungerford are going to be happy they are losing their direct service to London and having to change at Newbury, couldn't they find the extra money to extend the wires to Bedwyn & the reversing siding, one less diesel to worry about.

 

[Class 33]

Wish they would let us know the calling station stops of the 4 trains per hour off-peak between London and Bristol, and the 5 trains per hour peak between London and Bristol. Will those additional peak services be non-stop London-Bristol services?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As it's what some of you will be most interested in - here's the new branding that will be rolled out across the fleet before September 2015.

I look forward to that. Will make a nice refreshing change from the livery we've had for at least the past 8 or 9 years now!

 

[Chris125]

Is there a link to where those photos come from, or are they not fully public yet?

 

[Rich McLean]

Is there a link to where those photos come from, or are they not fully public yet?

Western Morning News

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE-New-train-fleet-replace-Devon-Cornwall/story-26212611-detail/story.html

 

[Captain Chaos]

I still believe OHMs will be on all services regardless of revenue though. Purely for CS more than anything. No IC service in the world operates without someone on board to the best of my knowledge. Doubt we will be setting a precedent. Isn't EC retaining Guards despite getting the same signalling and trains?

 

[Rich McLean]

Posted this elsewhere

There is nothing to say that if FGW get the go ahead for 22 x 5 car Bi Modes and 7 x 9 car bi modes for the WoE, that they could do something like the following which the 5 car units would give the flexibility for.

1tph Pad - Newbury (all stops between Reading & Newbury) EMU

1tph Pad - Westbury with 1tp2hr continuing to Exeter St Davids, Calling at Reading, Reading West, Theal, Thatcham, Newbury, Knitford, Hungerford, Bedwyn, Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, (Frome), Castle Cary etc.

1tph - Pad - Plymouth/Penzance (non stop Reading - Taunton with some stopping at Castle Cary and Westbury)

But the franchise requirement doesn't say they have to do the above, it would be off their own back if they decided to do it. They could just use the DMU Shuttle, which is a minimum franchise requirement, but does state that they are working for a solution, and the above could be that solution

 

[Xavi]

And would appear to be going via Bath and Weston super mare as the document says that Hungerford and Bedwyn will lose through trains to Paddington and have a shuttle to Newbury, Pewsey will continue to have odd calls on long distance trains and Paddington to Exeter semi fasts via Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Weston and Taunton will run.

Plus the new Padd Plym/Penz supposedly non stop hourly service from Reading to Taunton will take 2h 9m, nine minutes slower than the Riviera despite new trains and only one more stop, at Taunton, than the riviera. So it appears some of them will also be stopping at Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary.

I believe from reading the document that the occasional via Bristols are from the original IEP Agility fleet deployment. The hourly (or two-hourly) Exeter semi-fasts are part of the proposed new AT-300 fleet and will be via B&H. The new 2hr 9 min to Exeter is inclusive of a Taunton and Tiv Pkway stop and non-stop Reading - Taunton, currently 2hr 14 min. Interestingly the AT-300s will be built in Japan for delivery in 2017. That's called accelerating delivery to bail out late electrification to Bristol and Wales before redeployment to the South West in late 2018. Providing the DfT approves in June...

 

[swt_passenger]

Wish they would let us know the calling station stops of the 4 trains per hour off-peak between London and Bristol, and the 5 trains per hour peak between London and Bristol. Will those additional peak services be non-stop London-Bristol services?

The different calling patterns are summarised in a line diagram at the end of the consultation document (linked in a few earlier posts) e.g. #94

A significant number of SET operated services seem to be missing out Reading...

 

[Rich McLean]

The different calling patterns are summarised in a line diagram at the end of the consultation document (linked in a few earlier posts) e.g. #94

A significant number of SET operated services seem to be missing out Reading...

That will by mitigated by Cross Rail and Fast 12 car EMUs with bags more capacity. In the peaks, EMUs are planned to run to Swindon as crowd busters

 

[Class 33]

The different calling patterns are summarised in a line diagram at the end of the consultation document (linked in a few earlier posts) e.g. #94

A significant number of SET operated services seem to be missing out Reading...

Thanks. So there will be an hourly Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington service calling only at Bristol Parkway enroute. I look forward to that one. And also at peak hours only, a non-stop service via the Bath and Chippenham line.

though I notice they've missed out Newport, Bath Spa, and Chippenham from that diagram on that document.

 

[387star]

Will 143s and 150/1s be replaced

 

[iantherev]

That will go down well with the Thames Valley commuters. However it might also mean that the governing factor in the new West of England stock is not the need to accommodate said commuters which means Devon & Cornwall might get something which isn't quite so high density.

 

[JaJaWa]

Is there a link to where those photos come from, or are they not fully public yet?

The GWR logo is from this trademark application filed by First last year http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00003064468 (site currently down).

The image of the train in GWR livery was supplied to local newspapers today and is available from First on request. Interestingly it appears they will be branded as GWR (à la GNER) as opposed to Great Western Railway.

 

[iantherev]

Will 143s and 150/1s be replaced

I would expect the 143s to go. 150/1s will probably be around for a while longer, especially as the future of the 153s is uncertain.

 

[Clarence Yard]

The entire GW 143 and 153 fleets are being released in 2017 and they are being offered around now. All but 2 of the 150/1 fleet is also up for use elsewhere in 2017, the remaining 2 being available at the end of 2018. Bidders for the Northern franchise are rumoured to be interested in the 150 units.

That ties in with what is becoming known of the 150 and 158 deployment on GW. It appears that all the 150/0, 150/2 and 158 fleet is being kept.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Why is the Marlow branch not Boeing electrified?

Because it's being Airbustituted.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I can't think the CEO & board will be happy without having the F-in circle in the logo.

They will... remember who this is?

http://www.busesofsomerset.co.uk/

(It's not Go-Ahead even though the branding is very similar to Southern Vectis!)

I like that new livery. A lot. Very classic but with the modern "white doors" twist. I guess the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway won't object?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They probably imagine a team of waiters taking their order and running off to the buffet car to get it for them...

As it's probably mostly microwaved, having a microwave in a cupboard in, say, every third coach, isn't likely to be prohibitive.

 

[Class377/5]

I can't think the CEO & board will be happy without having the F-in circle in the logo.

Its been First's bidding plan to not put is name on trains. Both TSGN & WCML bids wouldn't have seen trains branded First at all.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A significant number of SET operated services seem to be missing out Reading...

That seems a good idea with the 5-cars. There are, I would imagine, quite a few services where 5 cars is entirely sufficient if the Reading commuters don't fill it up, while running 10 cars all the way to Penzance is a rather inefficient way of serving Reading commuters.