first great western driver routes?

[mindthedoors]

Hi all, i asked this question recently in a thread but didn't get much response.
I'm curious what routes are covered by drivers for FGW specific to their depot. I'm more interested in Paddington (one person suggested the Greenford Branch falls under it) but it would be good to know where Reading and other depots sign.

 

[O L Leigh]

FGW have lots of depots, so this thread could become very long and convoluted unless you focus down on the area that you are most interested in.

Depots in and around London are mostly former Thames Trains depots, so they will cover the suburban routes in and out of Paddington. There will also be links for high-speed services (HSS), but you won't go directly into those. I believe Oxford depot also cover the Cotwold line in addition to the suburban routes.

Further from London you get into former Wessex Trains territory, but the same rules apply. Most of the work is local DMU operated routes with some depots also having an HSS link.

O L Leigh

 

[mindthedoors]

FGW have lots of depots, so this thread could become very long and convoluted unless you focus down on the area that you are most interested in.

Depots in and around London are mostly former Thames Trains depots, so they will cover the suburban routes in and out of Paddington. There will also be links for high-speed services (HSS), but you won't go directly into those. I believe Oxford depot also cover the Cotwold line in addition to the suburban routes.

Further from London you get into former Wessex Trains territory, but the same rules apply. Most of the work is local DMU operated routes with some depots also having an HSS link.

O L Leigh

I did mention I was interested in Paddington, and what sort of turns the drivers make. I just thought id open up the thread to other depots in case anyone else who is applying for FGW, could find out what routes they'll actually do if successful.
I wasn't too sure you could go from doing suburban jobs to HSS. I guess the wait in the link must be long.

Thank you O L Leigh

 

[A-driver]

As far as I know from a few mates at paddington they sign greenford and Windsor, think the other Thames valley branches come under reading but may be wrong. They also sign to Oxford and Newbury or hungerford or somewhere out that way. Traction is 166 & 165 with some senior men signing 180 and HST (still talking the non hss links here).

From diagrams I have seen they can vary from doing oxfords, newburys, greenfords to a day spent doing Windsor shuttles.

 

[Twoonthebuzzer]

Paddington HSS drivers sign;

Padd - Reading
Reading - Exeter via B&H
Reading - Oxford
Oxford - Hereford via Cotswolds
Reading - Swindon
Swindon - Swansea via Hullavington
Swindon - Bristol T.M. via Box
Swindon - Cheltenham via Stroud Valley
Swindon - Westbury via Melksham
Westbury - Bristol T.M.
Bristol T.M. - Taunton via WSM

Paddington LTV depot sign;

Padd - Greenford
Padd - Reading
Slough - Windsor
Reading - Oxford
Reading - Bedwyn

Reading LTV depot sign;

Reading - Padd
Twyford - Henley
Maidenhead - Bourne End
Reading - Basingstoke
Reading - Bedwyn
Reading - Oxford
Oxford - Banbury
Reading - Gatwick Airport
Oxford - Hereford via Cotswolds

 

[bystander]

That list is mostly correct except that Padd LTV link 1 (of 2 links + starter) also sign Oxford - Worcester.

LTV drivers at Padd will all soon sign 180s in addition to 165s / 166s. Training is ongoing for this & around half sign them at the moment, across both links.

Link 1 LTV Padd also sign HSTs, as has been noted.

The HSS depot needs you to put your name on the waiting list after you've been productive at LTV for two years (so, at least three years from joining the firm as a trainee before getting onto the bottom of the list). There are, I believe, about 40 currently on the list for Padd HSS as far as I know, so it's more like decades than years to wait if that's what you want. Although electrification and IEP may push a load more through to HSS in 5 or so years when the enhanced Bristol service comes on line.

I wouldn't join FGW if for some reason all you want to do is drive HSTs. It's a great place to work driving the traction that there is in LTV, in my view. One of the problems however is the negativity from those LTV drivers who incessantly whinge on about not doing HSS work.

Hope that helps.

 

[mindthedoors]

Thanks for all that info, that's great!

I'm not too fussed about working on HSS, I think its a bonus that I can eventually get there anyway (if I get the job lol). The LTV link for paddington is better than I thought.