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78-497: The British Rail Class 800 , branded as the Intercity Express Train ( IET ) by Great Western Railway (GWR) and Azuma by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a type of bi-mode multiple unit train built by Hitachi Rail for GWR and LNER. The type uses electric motors powered from overhead electric wires for traction, but also has diesel generators to enable trains to operate on unelectrified track. It

156-562: A 48-hour strike from 06:00 on 19 January 2017. Further industrial action was suspended by the RMT following the January strike as a result of an improvement in ongoing negotiations between the RMT, GWR and Servest UK. The dispute was formally resolved in July 2017, as RMT members voted in favour of accepting a new pay deal. In April 2021, cracks were discovered in the yaw damper brackets (part of

234-604: A background of ongoing rail strikes on a national level. The RMT ballotted Servest UK workers employed on an outsourcing contract to GWR as cleaners; the ballot passed in favour of strike action by 98%. A disruptive transfer period in the outsourcing contract, from Mitie to Servest UK, had resulted in what the RMT referred to as the creation of a "two-tier workforce" amongst cleaners at GWR, with an inequality in pay and working conditions between cleaners employed directly by GWR and those outsourced to Servest UK. Two 24-hour strikes were held from 06:00 on 16 and 23 December, followed by

312-563: A ceremony at Paddington by his daughter, Karen Jankel. This coincided with the 60th anniversary of the late author's famous Paddington Bear series of children's books, and the other end of the unit carries the bear's name. On 1 May 2021, unit 800025 Captain Sir Tom Moore , arrived back at London Paddington , after completing a challenge to stop at 100 stations in only 40 hours, raising money for charity in memory of Captain Tom . The train

390-413: A ceremony held at Paddington Station. The Queen had arrived at Paddington on the unit, travelling from Slough on the 175th anniversary of the first ever train journey by a reigning monarch, made on the same route by Queen Victoria. The name is carried in the form of a decal , rather than the more traditional cast metal plate; the name Queen Victoria is borne on the other end of the unit. On 15 May 2019,

468-524: A collision safety structure compliant with the latest European standards, incorporate an automatic coupling system along with measures to reduce both air resistance and noise. The driving cab of the Class 800 is provisioned with a variety of physical switches and monitors. The design of which is not only compliant with relevant standards at the time of design, but also shaped by feedback received from drivers as part of Human Factors engagement, in order to provide

546-480: A combination of wheel wear and track design. Further cracks in or near the welds of the lifting plates to the vehicle body were the result of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in a high-strength 7000 series aluminium alloy caused by a combination of residual stresses from being MIG welded to the body and exposure to air containing sea salt on railway lines near the coast. To mitigate the risk of cracking, 1,247 Class 800 series vehicles need to be repaired by replacing

624-462: A five-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/4 and a nine-car set has a GU situated under vehicles 2/3/5/7/8. In comparison, the electric-orientated Class 801 features a single GU for a five to nine-car set, which provides emergency power for limited traction and auxiliaries if the power supply from the overhead line fails. By adding or removing GUs, a Class 800 can be converted into a Class 801 and vice versa. Active limiters are present that prevent

702-644: A fleet of Class 165 and Class 166 units from First Great Western Link, and a fleet of Class 150 , Class 153 and Class 158 units from Wessex Trains. The fleet of 57 Class 800 trains from the Hitachi A-train family is used to operate most of GWR's long-distance services between London and destinations such as Swindon , Chippenham , Bath Spa , Bristol Temple Meads , Newport , Cardiff Central , Swansea , Carmarthen , Cheltenham Spa , Oxford , Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford . Introduced between autumn 2017 and spring 2019, these gradually replaced

780-454: A guard on board, one exception being the Oxford and Bedwyn services operated by GWR, where drivers use the in-cab monitors to close the doors without a guard. When a guard is on board, door releases are still controlled by the driver, while the guard is responsible for closing the doors using the control panels in the vestibule areas; the driver will then carry out a secondary check of the side of

858-484: A long term fix for all units is required. On 7 April 2022, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which regulates the safety and economics of Great Britain's railway, published a safety report on the fatigue cracks in the aluminium vehicle body shells above the bogies close to the yaw damper bracket and anti-roll bar fixing points. The trains had experienced greater loads from train movement than specified, probably caused by

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936-700: A revised seating layout. This refurbishment started in September 2016. The Class 166 "Networker Turbo" is a three-coach DMU, similar to the Class 165 units but with an internal layout more suitable for longer-distance services. They are now mostly based at St Philip's Marsh depot in Bristol, where they currently work on most of the lines in the area including the Wessex Main Line , Severn Beach line , Heart of Wessex Line , Golden Valley line and Bristol to Taunton line . The Class 387 "Electrostar"

1014-462: A similar programme. GWR's High Speed Train fleet were refurbished by Bombardier in Derby and Ilford between 2006 and 2008, with leather seats introduced in first class, redesigned toilets, a redesigned buffet, and at-seat power points . The company opted for mainly airline seats , giving more seats per train. Technical Specifications for Interoperability This directive stipulates that

1092-973: A simplified list of regular off-peak weekday service from the June 2024 timetables. 7 trains per day continue to Carmarthen mainly calling at Llanelli and Pembrey & Burry Port . 1 train every 2 hours continues towards Weston-super-Mare , calling at Nailsea and Backwell , Yatton and Worle . Some trains continue to Paignton or Plymouth , calling at various intermediate stations. Alternates with services between London Paddington and Penzance to provide an hourly service on this route Alternates with services between London Paddington and Plymouth to provide an hourly service between those stations Certain trains terminate at Worcester while others continue to Hereford calling at Colwall and Ledbury . One train per day continues to Worcester Shrub Hill calling at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury . Great Western Railway's named passenger trains include: Great Western Railway

1170-642: A successful trial by Angel Trains and FGW in 2004, two power cars received new MTU engines while two received new Paxman VP185s , fitted by Brush Traction of Loughborough . The MTU engine proved the better option, both for reliability and for emissions, resulting in FGW, Brush and Angel Trains starting the HST Modernisation programme. The last power cars to be re-engineered were released in April 2008, while several other companies' HSTs have now all undergone

1248-461: A tri-mode Class 802 in 2022 fitted with batteries in an attempt to reduce emissions when entering and leaving stations. Four Class 57/6 locomotives have hauled the Night Riviera sleeper services since 2004 when they replaced Class 47s . Due to poor availability of the 57/6s, Direct Rail Services (DRS) Class 57/3s have been hired from Direct Rail Services . in 2023, former DRS 57312

1326-548: A trolley and also the fact that surfboards are no longer allowed on the train due to the limited space available. In comparison with the IET , the LNER Azuma has a small 'micro' buffet retained with other aspects of the interior being similar between the two companies. On the evening of 13 November 2019, an LNER Azuma (800109) was involved in a collision with a Class 43 HST powercar (43300) at Neville Hill Depot , Leeds when

1404-557: A usable and reliable cab design. The train crew are assisted by the Train Control and Management System (TCMS), which runs on an ethernet -based communication system. Amongst other functions, it provides onboard information systems such as the seat reservation system, public address, and passenger information system , as well interfacing with the cab displays, on-train data recorder, and 3G / 4G communications. It has been outfitted to work with various signalling systems, including

1482-864: Is a four-coach EMU built by Bombardier, with a 2+2 seating layout, tables, power sockets and free Wi-Fi. It can be operated in four, eight- and twelve-coach formations. The class began to enter service in September 2016 on weekday peak services between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, using the overhead electrical equipment used by Heathrow Express . Services using the class were extended to Maidenhead in May 2017 and later to Didcot Parkway, and from Reading to Newbury. Bombardier Transportation at Ilford Depot had modified twelve of these trains by December 2020, installing new first-class seating, Wi-Fi, luggage racks and on-board entertainment, to be used on Heathrow Express services. Rebranded as " Heathrow Express ", and refurbished with Heathrow Express moquette, they replaced

1560-649: Is a part of the Hitachi AT300 product family. The Class 800 was developed and produced, alongside an electric-only Class 801 variant, as part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) to procure replacements for the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets of high speed trains. The trains were manufactured by Hitachi between 2014 and 2018, being assembled at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility using bodyshells shipped from

1638-626: Is installed on vibration-isolating mountings, and fitted with side-mounted cowls to reduce external noise. Heat management measures include thermal insulation around key areas such as cable ducts. According to Modern Railways magazine, the limited space available for the GUs is responsible for them being prone to overheating. It claimed that, on one day in summer 2018, "half the diagrammed units were out of action as engines shut down through overheating". The Class 800 and Class 802 bi-mode are equipped with three GU per five-car set and five GU per nine-car set;

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1716-551: Is now the only major UK rail operator with restaurant cars . These operate on certain West Country and Wales trains to or from London Paddington. They are available to first-class and standard-class passengers, though only first-class passengers may make advance reservations, and they have priority over seats in the restaurant. Meals in the restaurant car are not included in the price of rail tickets. GWR has first class on all its long-distance high-speed services. First class on

1794-483: Is potentially linked to the issues identified on a GWR trainset undergoing maintenance on 26 April. Significant disruption was caused by cancellations of trains between London, to Scotland and to the west of the UK. Reports suggested that delays would last for "some time" with the repairs not being easy. From 13 May 2021, some trains started to return to service, however more severely affected trains require repairs before use and

1872-493: Is provided on all services. Many services on long-distance and regional routes have specific seat reservations. An at-seat trolley service is scheduled to operate on most IET services, with a trolley in each portion of a ten-coach train. This is different from the HSTs, which had buffet counters branded as 'Express Cafes'. In July 2018, a disabled woman was threatened by Great Western Railway staff with police action and removal from

1950-521: The Elizabeth line service. In March 2020, the DfT awarded a further extension to 31 March 2023. In June 2022, the DfT replaced the franchise agreement with a direct award contract that expires on 25 June 2028, with an option to extend for a further three years. GWR is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes , which are the first national rail strikes in

2028-791: The European Train Control System (ETCS) level 2, which satisfies safety integrity level 4 requirements. For compatibilities with legacy signalling systems, it is also provisioned with apparatus for the Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS), Automatic Warning System (AWS), and Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Train information can be shared between ETCS, TCMS, and the GSM-R wireless communication system to simplify data entry. The train communicates in realtime with wayside systems, transmitting from

2106-863: The Great Western Main Line to and from the West of England and South Wales , inter-city services from London to the West Country via the Reading–Taunton line , and the Night Riviera sleeper service between London and Penzance . It provides outer-suburban services in West London; commuter services from its London terminus at London Paddington to the Thames Valley region, including parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire , and Oxfordshire ; and regional services throughout

2184-1080: The yaw dampers . As part of the UK Government's Intercity Express Programme (IEP), the Class 800 units were built as partial replacements for the InterCity 125 trains which at the time operated services on the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, as well as the InterCity 225 trains which currently operate services on the East Coast Main Line. The scheme drew heavily upon the preceding British Rail Class 395 high speed trains produced for Southeastern . A total of 80 train sets have been constructed, comprising 36 five-car and 21 nine-car units intended for operation with Great Western Railway (GWR), along with 10 five-car and 13 nine-car with London North Eastern Railway (LNER). In March 2016, Virgin Trains East Coast announced that its trains would carry

2262-557: The Castle sets, slam door 2+4 sets known as 'Classic' sets were used until the end of 2019. Until 2017, GWR operated the vast majority of its long-distance services with a fleet of 58 InterCity 125 High Speed Train sets, each consisting of eight Mark 3 coaches sandwiched between two Class 43 locomotives. GWR operated the largest InterCity 125 fleet, owning five sets outright; the rest were leased from Angel Trains and Porterbrook . From 2009 to 2012 (when Class 180s were reintroduced on

2340-548: The Class 800 ran into the rear of the HST. The trains were travelling at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) and 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) respectively, with three carriages of the Class 800 derailing and the leading vehicle of the Class 800 and trailing locomotive of the HST being severely damaged. On 18 November 2020, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch published its report into the accident with

2418-735: The Cotswold line) all the company's intercity services were worked by HSTs except the Night Riviera sleeper service between London Paddington and Penzance. From late 2017, following the completion of electrification from Hayes & Harlington to the west of England, intercity services gradually became operated by Class 800 IETs, although a few peak services remained operated by HSTs until early 2019. GWR continued to use HSTs on services to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance until May 2019, when they were all withdrawn in favour of Class 802 units. The youngest Class 43 locomotive dated from 1982. After

British Rail Class 800 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-719: The European Community Directive 2008/57/EC, which in turn has been taken over by the European Union Directive 2016/797/EU. Directive 2008/57/EC was repealed as of 16 June 2020, by which time the new Directive 2016/797/EU had to be transposed into national law. TSIs are drafted by the European Union Agency for Railways on a mandate from the European Commission . The working group set up includes members of

2574-481: The Great Western, Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchises were combined into a new Greater Western franchise. FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for it. On 13 December 2005, it was announced that FirstGroup had won the franchise. Originally, First planned to subdivide its services into three categories based on routes. Following feedback from staff and stakeholders,

2652-484: The IETs includes fabric reclining seating with tables at every seat, as well as an at-seat service provided by a customer host on most journeys. Unlike the previous HSTs, the IETs do not have leather first-class seating due to fire regulations. Like the HSTs, there are power sockets and USB charging points at every seat. There is Wi-Fi throughout the first class-carriages, which GWR describes as 'upgraded'. Standard class

2730-401: The UK for three decades. Its workers are amongst those who are participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions. Great Western Railway operates routes west of London including those towards south west England such as Wiltshire , Bristol , Cornwall , Gloucestershire , as well as Oxfordshire , Berkshire , Hereford and South Wales . The following is

2808-785: The West of England and South Wales to the South coast of England. Great Western Railway also operates the Heathrow Express service. The company began operating in February 1996 as Great Western Trains , as part of the privatisation of British Rail . In December 1998, it became First Great Western after FirstGroup bought out its partners' shares in Great Western Holdings . In April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains were combined into

2886-615: The affected parts including the longitudinal welds and by installing additional bolts, to retain the plate, if the weld should fail completely as a result of stress corrosion cracking. In 2017, Hornby issued its first OO gauge five-car model of the BR Class 800/0 Hitachi IEP Bi-Mode in GWR Green livery. In early May 2021, Kato released its N-scale five-car model of the BR Class 800/0 Hitachi IEP Bi-Mode in GWR Green livery with

2964-407: The benefits through a longer-term franchise." By not taking up the option to extend its original franchise contract for a further three years, FirstGroup avoided having to pay £826.6   million to the government; it received extra subsidies totalling £133   million from the government in 2010. In March 2012, Arriva , FirstGroup, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for

3042-562: The brand name Azuma , a Japanese word for "East". During June 2016, GWR announced that its trains would be known as Intercity Express Trains . However, due to the early demise of Virgin Trains East Coast, they would not operate the new trains, which entered service with successor London North Eastern Railway . Even so, the Azuma brand has been retained by LNER. In July 2016, it was revealed that GWR's intended fleet of Class 801 units were to be converted from pure EMU to bi-mode due to delays in

3120-424: The company serves. London North Eastern Railway unveiled a special vinyl on one of their units to celebrate the launch of Azuma to Scotland. It was operated on the first Azuma from Scotland, which ran on the 'Flying Scotsman' from Edinburgh on 1 August 2019. This same unit was also used when Azuma was launched to Aberdeen and Inverness respectively. On 10 January 2018, unit 800010 was named Michael Bond in

3198-494: The company's Kasado Works in Japan. Similar bi-mode units have also been produced by Hitachi as Classes 802 , 805 , and 810 . The Class 800 trains came into service on the Great Western Main Line on 16 October 2017, while the first examples on the East Coast Main Line were put into service on 15 May 2019. Early operations have been troubled by fatigue cracking and corrosion on the aluminium vehicle body shells, particularly on

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3276-417: The current electrified network . As per the train specification, the changeover between modes can occur at line speed for minimal service impact. As part of the Great Western Main Line order was originally for Class 801s , all Great Western franchise units have the possibility to be converted to electric-only operation by removal of the diesel engines. Hitachi designed the rolling stock for conformance with

3354-440: The data recorder and receiving timetables and seat allocation data, amongst other material. Location tracking via GPS is used to automatically control selective door operation (where stations are shorter than the trains), guide drivers in efficiently operate the train to best suit the route, and provide information to passengers. The Class 800 is capable of driver-only operation when required, however, virtually all services have

3432-500: The decision was taken to re-brand and re-livery all services as 'First Great Western'. In May 2011, FirstGroup announced that it had decided not to take up the option to extend its franchise beyond the end of March 2013. It stated that, in the light of the £1   billion plan to electrify the Great Western route from London via Bristol to Cardiff, it wished to try to negotiate a longer-term deal. CEO Tim O'Toole said: "We believe we are best placed to manage these projects and capture

3510-411: The derailment performance. On 26 April 2021 GWR temporarily withdrew eight 5-car Class 800 sets from service after finding cracks in the yaw damper brackets. On 8 May 2021, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway and Hull Trains suspended most of their Class 800 series trains after cracks were found on the welds of the lifting pads on an IET trainset undergoing maintenance. This incident

3588-556: The electrification. Subsequently, these were reclassified as Class 800/3. As a part of this reconfiguration, the original 1.35 m (300 imp gal) fuel tanks were replaced with larger capacity 1.55 m (340 imp gal) tanks. The Class 800 train is a high speed bi-modal multiple unit (BMU). The traction system comprises electric motors that are alternatively capable of drawing power from electrified overhead lines where available, or of using electricity produced by onboard underfloor diesel generators when travelling beyond

3666-453: The end of 2024, ending their services with GWR in Devon and Cornwall and replaced with Class 175s . All power cars being retained will have new nameplates, named after castles from across the area that GWR serve. The sets are progressively being fitted with automatic doors and controlled emission toilets, to allow their operation beyond 2020, at Doncaster Works . Due to a delay in refurbishing

3744-648: The end of July 2028. The new franchise would include the introduction of new Intercity Express Trains , capacity enhancements and smart ticketing . The award of the franchise was again delayed in October 2012, while the Department for Transport (DfT) reviewed the way rail franchises were awarded. In January 2013, the government announced that the current competition for the franchise had been aborted, and that FirstGroup's contract had been extended until October 2013. A two-year franchise extension until September 2015

3822-414: The existing Class 332 , entering service on 29 December 2020. In 2023 3 units were cascaded to Great Northern . Great Western Railway retained 24 power cars and 48 carriages from its former High Speed Train fleet to form 12 'Castle' 2+4 sets. They are branded as Class 255 sets and are for use on multiple services between Plymouth and Penzance. There is a consensus that the sets shall be withdrawn at

3900-473: The fields of the regulatory requirements, but for the fields they cover, they prevail over the national texts. When the first TSIs were published, they still had separate legal bases: one for the interoperability of the high-speed rail system (European Community Directive 96/48/EC) and one for the interoperability of the conventional rail system (European Community Directive 2001/16/EC). The matters covered by these two directives have been merged and regrouped in

3978-531: The first Class 800 came into service on the East Coast Main Line under the brand name 'Azuma'. The type was initially worked on Leeds, Hull, and Newark services. On 1 August 2019, the first Class 800 performed the Edinburgh to King's Cross run on the Flying Scotsman service. Great Western Railway's Class 800 and 802 units are being named after "inspirational people" who have influenced the regions that

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4056-562: The five-car model of the BR Class 800/2 in LNER livery later that month. Great Western Railway (train operating company) First Greater Western , trading as Great Western Railway ( GWR ), is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that provides services in the Greater Western franchise area. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR operates long-distance inter-city services along

4134-464: The former Great Western Railway which existed between 1835 and 1947. The new livery was introduced when HST interiors were refurbished, and on sleeper carriages and Class 57/6 locomotives. In May 2018, TfL Rail – which later became the Elizabeth line – took over services from Paddington to Hayes & Harlington , and then some stopping services to Reading in December 2019. becoming part of

4212-412: The government; the introduction was postponed by six months on account of the train's electro-magnetic emissions, which had reportedly caused problems with signals and other elements of lineside equipment. On 30 June 2016, GWR's test unit (800004) ran from Reading to London Paddington carrying invited dignitaries. On 14 June 2017, GWR unit 800003 was named Queen Elizabeth II by the monarch herself in

4290-543: The incident should not have happened and "No one travelling with us should be left feeling like this". In 2015, the imminent arrival of the new Class 800 trains provoked a series of strikes by the RMT union over who has the right to control the doors. First Great Western wanted to replace conductors with driver-only operation (DOO); however, following several discussions it was agreed to keep conductors on all IET services. Another strike took place in early December 2016 amidst

4368-413: The investigation finding that driver error was the cause of the accident, with insufficient training of the driver being an underlying cause. The effect of the collision was exacerbated by the design of the Class 800 as crashworthiness requirements did not require the effects of a collision at less than 23.5 mph (37.8 km/h) to be taken into account, nor did it include specific criteria for assessing

4446-496: The latest European standards as of 2014, including the Technical Specifications for Interoperability , and UK railway standards. Furthermore, a high level of flexibility was pursued as to allow the type to be operated on numerous lines with different infrastructure, both in the present and the foreseeable future, such as variable passenger demand and the rollout of electrification. The front end cars, which feature

4524-573: The lifting pads and yaw dampers so that more trains could be returned to service. A further six Class 387 units were loaned from Govia Thameslink Railway in July 2021 and used in a common pool with GWR's existing 387/1 fleet, being surplus to requirements while the Gatwick Express service was suspended. Great Western Railway inherited a fleet of InterCity 125 sets ( Class 43 power cars and Mark 3 Coaches ) and Class 57 locomotives and Mark 3 sleeper coaches from BR. In 2006, it inherited

4602-573: The lines in the area including the Severn Beach line , Heart of Wessex Line , Golden Valley line and Bristol to Exeter line . From summer 2018, they are due to run on Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour services too. In response to its Remedial Plan Notice, First Great Western undertook a more thorough refurbishment of the Thames Turbo fleet than originally planned: the trains were to be fitted with improved lighting, carpets, toilets, and

4680-733: The national safety authorities and members of organizations representing the sector. Once completed, they are submitted to the European Union Member States Committee for its opinion before being decided by the Commission. They are then translated into the official Languages of the European Union before being notified to the Member States. The Interoperability Directive is transposed into French law by Decree 2019-525. TSIs adopted in

4758-715: The new Greater Western franchise and brought under the First Great Western brand. The company adopted its current name and a new livery in September 2015 to coincide with the start of a contract that was subsequently extended to run until June 2028. As part of the privatisation of British Rail , the Great Western InterCity franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995, and it began operations on 4 February 1996. Great Western Holdings

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4836-468: The new franchise. The winner was expected to be announced in December 2012, with the new franchisee taking over in April 2013. But it was announced in July 2012 that the franchise would be extended, due to the late issue of the invitation to tender (ITT). The ITT ran from the end of July until October 2012. The winner would have been announced in March 2013, and taken on the franchise from 21 July 2013 until

4914-456: The older InterCity 125 sets. On 28 April 2021, six Class 800s were withdrawn from service due to cracks being found during maintenance and were sent to Hitachi for inspection. Long-distance services between London and destinations in the west of the GWR network (such as Paignton , Newquay , Plymouth and Penzance ) are mostly operated using the fleet of 36 Class 802 trains, the first of which

4992-521: The passenger area. Following further issues, the units were withdrawn from service on 19 October for the rest of the day, re-entering service during the next day. At one point, the type were due to enter service on the East Coast Main Line from December 2018. The launching operator on the East Coast became London North Eastern Railway (LNER) following Virgin Trains' decision to return the franchise to

5070-595: The railway system is divided into 8 subsystems: It also provides that a technical specification for interoperability (TSI) is drawn up for each subsystem. These TSIs define the essential requirements of the above-mentioned European directives for specific cases and define a set of technical requirements that apply to new subsystems put into service. These requirements constitute a set of conditions necessary for putting into service, but these conditions are generally not sufficient to guarantee safety, so they must be supplemented by some additional measures. They do not cover all

5148-862: The suspension system) of Class 800 and 802 InterCity Express Trains (IET). Eight trains were withdrawn from service and an investigation started into the cause. On 8 May, all these trains and similar ones operated by other companies were taken out of service. Cracks had now been found in the lifting pads (a component fixed near the bogie ) and it was feared that if these were to fall off they may cause injury or derailment. The only IET units that were permitted to operate were those which had been carefully inspected and found to have no significant cracks. This meant that most of GWR's 93 units were unavailable which led to significant disruption to long-distance services. Class 387 units operated additional services from London Paddington to Didcot Parkway which were later extended to Swindon and Bristol Parkway after approval

5226-461: The traction converter, fuel tank, automated fire protection system (using high pressure nitrogen gas), and braking. The auxiliary power system is powered directly from the direct current stage of the traction system. They are operated in parallel to provide greater redundancy. The power supply converter is designed to work with both sources of power, avoiding the need for a separate converter for each mode, thus reducing weight and complexity. The GU

5304-529: The train before departure using the in-cab monitors. Despite their underfloor positioning, the generator units (GU) feature a V12 engine . Incorporated as a single package, the GU includes the diesel engine , generator, radiator, and other subsystems, such as exhaust cleaning measures compliant with the Stage IIIB European Union exhaust emission standard . Elements external to the GU include

5382-420: The train from exceeding its peak service speed of 125 mph (200 km/h). The Class 800 trains came into service on the Great Western Main Line on 16 October 2017, under the brand name Intercity Express Train (abbreviated to IET ). Teething problems surfaced on the inaugural service, the train not only ran late but one of the carriages suffered an air conditioning unit failure that discharged water into

5460-419: The train she was travelling in, for using a disabled space for her mobility scooter. Canadian-born comedian Tanyalee Davis , who has a form of dwarfism, said she was humiliated when a Great Western Railway conductor made an announcement that she was "causing problems" which had delayed the train. The incident occurred after a woman travelling with a young child demanded that Davis make way for her pram. GWR said

5538-431: The trains they replace. However, the seats in both standard and first class have been heavily criticised for excessive hardness and discomfort on lengthy journeys, with the overall first class experience said to be a downgrade as the seats are no longer leather like their predecessors due to fire regulations. The GWR IET has also been criticised for the lack of a buffet car with the catering service instead being provided by

5616-406: Was agreed in October 2013, and subsequently extended until March 2019. A further extension to April 2019 was granted in March 2015. The refurbishment of first-class carriages in 2014 included interiors that featured a new GWR logo, with no First branding. The whole company was rebranded Great Western Railway (GWR) on 20 September 2015, with the introduction of a green livery in recognition of

5694-483: Was designed to fulfil the requirements of the Persons with Reduced Mobility-TSI standard, as well as to satisfy the varying requirements and preferences of multiple operators, and to facilitate future refurbishments and reconfigurations. The basic layout has been standardised. The interiors have reportedly been praised for their increased leg-room and greater number of seats and tables in standard class, in comparison to

5772-428: Was given for them to operate in service on this route. Three additional 387 units were loaned from c2c and were modified to work with GWR's fleet, mostly on services to Newbury . CrossCountry operated a service on behalf of GWR from Swindon to Bristol Temple Meads and the few available 800 and 802, were concentrated on services west of Swindon and to Plymouth . Plans were agreed on 13 May to increase inspections of

5850-435: Was greeted by applause. The passenger compartments on the Class 800 trains are typically divided into both first class and standard class sections. The vestibule area accommodates the exterior doors along with space for storage areas for passenger luggage (including bicycles , and a sizable universal accessibility toilet. It can be configured to include catering facilities, including a kitchen and preparation room. The interior

5928-408: Was introduced on 20 August 2018. These trains are almost identical to the Class 800 trains, except they have a higher engine operating power—700 kW (940 hp) per engine as opposed to 560 kW (750 hp)—and are fitted with larger fuel tanks to cope with the gradients and extended running in diesel mode on the long unelectrified stretches in Devon and Cornwall. Hitachi planned to test

6006-760: Was owned by some former British Rail managers (51%), FirstBus (24.5%) and 3i (24.5%). In March 1998, FirstGroup bought out its partners' stakes to give it 100% ownership. In December 1998, the franchise was rebranded First Great Western. On 1 April 2004, First Great Western Link began operating the Thames Trains franchise. It ran local services from Paddington to Slough , Henley-on-Thames , Reading , Didcot Parkway , Oxford , Newbury , Bedwyn , Worcester Shrub Hill , Hereford , Banbury and Stratford-upon-Avon . It also operated services from Reading to Gatwick Airport (via Guildford and Dorking ), and from Reading to Basingstoke . On 1 April 2006,

6084-766: Was placed on permanent lease with GWR. The Class 165 "Networker Turbo" is a two- or three-coach DMU used on shorter-distance services in the Thames Valley area, with the majority based at Reading Traction Maintenance Depot . They are mainly used on branches such as the Greenford branch line , Slough–Windsor & Eton line , Marlow branch line and Henley branch line . They are also used on services between Reading and Basingstoke, Didcot Parkway and Oxford or Banbury and sometimes services between London and Oxford. Some are (and eventually all will be) based at St Philip's Marsh depot in Bristol, where they work on most of

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