UPDATE: First Great Western extend franchise until 2019 - largest train fleet upgrade in generation (From Swindon Advertiser)

UPDATE: First Great Western extend franchise until 2019 - largest train fleet upgrade in generation

By Mike Benke

FIRST Great Western will continue to operate trains through Swindon and Wiltshire until 2019 after an agreement was made with the Department of Transport.

First Great Western extend franchise until 2019

And as part of this First Great Western wants to introduce the largest train fleet upgrade in a generation on the Great Western network. 

The franchise extension was made after the rail company, owned by First Group PLC, agreed to extend the services on offer.

Improvements include an extra three million seats on lines between London Paddington and Cornwall as well 369 new carriages through the roll-out of new hi-tech Intercity Express Programme trains built by Hitachi.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I am determined that passengers in the West, Thames Valley and South Wales get a railway that is fit for the 21st century. This is a fantastic deal which will give them more seats, more services and brand new fleets of modern trains. 

The first of the new Hitachi Intercity Express trains arrives at Southampton on March 12. Picture: Graham Meiklejohn

“This government knows the importance of our railways. That is why they are a vital part of our long term economic plan, with over £38 billion being spent on the network between 2014 and 2019."

FirstGroup Chief Executive Tim O’Toole said:  “We are delighted to be awarded the contract by the DfT to operate the Great Western franchise to at least April 2019, in a deal that will deliver for passengers and taxpayers.

"As the proud operators of this important franchise, we will be using our unrivalled knowledge and experience of the network to help deliver significant upgrades over the next few years, in particular the introduction of new trains as the mainline is electrified.

“We are already working closely with the DfT and Network Rail to deliver the initial phases of the £7.5bn Great Western Mainline modernisation programme.

"This investment is the biggest on the route since Brunel, and will transform a key part of the country’s transport infrastructure.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin

“Under our experienced management, the franchise will see new or refurbished trains on every part of the network, resulting in more frequent and faster journeys and an increase in the number of seats.

"These, and a range of further passenger benefits, will keep people moving and communities prospering between London and the South West.”

FGW will pay the government around £68 million to operate the franchise from September 2015 until April 2019.

The new franchise means customers from Swindon will see longer trains and more seats on both high speed services and local commuter routes. The new franchise will run until at least April 2019. 

The new franchise will deliver a range of benefits for customers in the Swindon and Wiltshire areas of the network.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood

First Great Western says new Super Express Trains, introduced as part of the government’s Intercity Express Programme, will appear on the network through Swindon and Wiltshire from summer 2017. These new trains will provide a significant improvement in rolling stock quality and passenger comfort.

In December 2018 a major timetable change will take full advantage of the Super Express Trains.  There will be more through journey services from London to Cheltenham, via Swindon, with hourly intercity services replacing almost all the local services. An additional local service will be provided between Swindon and Gloucester in the morning peak and from Gloucester to Swindon in the evening peak.

There will be five trains an hour through Swindon using the new Super Express Trains. Ten carriage trains on peak services will have 15% more standard class seats than on the High Speed Trains on the route today

TransWilts services, boosted by remarkable growth since new services were introduced in 2013 by First Great Western with the support of Wiltshire Council, will continue to run.

Single carriage trains will be doubled to two carriages from May 2017. The trains will be equipped with free wi-fi

FGW is expanding its funding for Community Rail Partnerships, so it can provide additional annual funding to support the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership throughout the franchise term, to support further improvements to stations and services. The line is also expected to benefit from FGW’s new Customer and Communities Improvement Fund.

New gatelines will be installed at Chippenham station during 2016/17 and FGW is working closely with Network Rail and the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership on further improvements to the station

As part of its wider franchise plans, the company will expand the use of the GWR brand, currently used in its long distance First Class carriages and will begin its rebrand before the start of the new franchise in September.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood said:  “For us, this franchise deal is about changing the way people think about rail. The Great Western network is already seeing the biggest investment since Brunel, and this deal has been designed to match that investment and ambition.

"It gives passengers newer trains, faster, more frequent services and importantly, given the growth this franchise has seen in recent years, more seats – three million extra seats a year by December 2018.

“We’ve worked with the Department for Transport to make sure passengers get every bit of benefit from the mainline electrification programme, while making sure no area misses out.

"I believe that the team at First Great Western will deliver for customers and the thriving communities and economies they serve, as well as the taxpayer.”