Great Western Main Line

News

New technology to scrap mobile signal blackspots due from 2026

New partnership aims to improve 4G/5G connectivity on trains and in stations.

technology 26 Jun

802104 is one of three GWR (Great Western Railway) Hitachi units at London Paddington. ALAMY.

News

Network Rail explains work done to fix almost daily Great Western Main Line failures

Network Rail tells RAIL about the first 12 months of Project Brunel.

Network Rail 21 May

News

Proposal to increase Old Oak Common line speed submitted by Network Rail

NR wants to increase westbound line speed while station on GWML is being built.

Old Oak Common 22 Apr

803002 working Lumo's 1S93 1045 Kings Cross to Edinburgh through Little Ponton in Lincolnshire on August 5 2022. PAUL CLARK

News

Network Rail "can't support" Lumo Paignton plans as it outlines capacity concerns

Network Rail says no paths exist for a number of services planned on Great Western Main Line.

Lumo 3 Apr

On August 26, carrying GWR colours, 800004 Isambard Kingdom Brunel/Sir Daniel Gooch passes Worle Junction, with a training run from Exeter St Davids to Swindon. It ran from Hitachi Rail Europe’s North Pole depot to Exeter via the Berks & Hants route, then to Swindon, and then to Kemble before returning to HRE’s depot via London Paddington. DAN HASSELL.

News

South West politicians call for service improvements to offset Old Oak Common disruption

Leaders want options to improve on-train experiences when route into Paddington is closed.

Great Western Main Line 25 Feb

News

New open access operator given go-ahead to launch service between Swindon and Taunton

Go-op will become the first regional open access operator in the UK, and plans to start running services from December 2025

Open access 15 Nov

News

Heathrow Rail Link withdrawn, but MP vows to carry on

Hopes for a rail link between the Great Western Main Line and Heathrow Airport appear to have finally ended.

Great Western Main Line 19 Aug

News

Paddington-Reading Crossrail trains to begin running from December 15

Crossrail to start serving Reading later this year

1 Oct

News

Grand Union Class 802s to serve Llanelli from 2023?

Hitachi bi-modes form part of long-term plan for Grand Union's open access plans in Wales

10 Sept

News

FROM THE ARCHIVES: What’s it like in the cab of an IET?

EXCLUSIVE: The first main line cab ride in a Great Western Railway Class 800 Intercity Express Train

14 Jul

News

Great Western has similar problems encountered with a West Coast upgrade -DfT

Progress on the Great Western Route Modernisation has been similar in some respects to the West Coast Route Modernisation programme says DfT.

21 Dec

Looking towards London at Didcot Parkway on August 18. PAUL BIGLAND/RAIL.

News

£47 million spent on deferred sections of Great Western modernisation

"Around £47 million” has been spent on works on the Great Western Main Line where electrification has been deferred.

20 Dec

News

GWR electrification uncertainty raises timetable issues

Ability of GWR's '800' bi-modes to meet current and future timetables is under scrutiny by the operator, due to their maximum speed in diesel mode of 100mph.

31 Aug

News

Hitachi to build nine additional bi-mode trains for GWR

Seven nine-car Class 802 AT300 bi-mode trains have been added to the Great Western Railway order with Hitachi Rail Europe.

5 Aug

An artist's impression of a GWR Class 387. GWR.

News

Latest Class 387 Electrostar deal details

Porterbrook Leasing has broken down the Great Western Railway Electrostar order announced this week.

10 Jun

News

Great Western Main Line section set to 'go live'

Network Rail is close to completing electrification of the Great Western Main Line between Reading and Didcot, as part of the route’s ongoing modernisation.

1 Jun

800101 inside North Pole on May 5. RICHARD CLINNICK.

News

Hitachi converts GWR ‘801s’ to bi-mode operation

Hitachi is to convert 21 Class 801 electric multiple units ordered for Great Western Railway to full bi-mode operation.

1 Jun

News

Network Rail plans vital Bank Holiday work

Network Rail will spend more than £30 million on engineering projects over the May 28-30 Bank Holiday weekend.

17 May

News

GWML wires will meet Hendy targets - Network Rail

Network Rail says the Great Western Route Modernisation (GWRM) will be completed to targets set after the Hendy Review.

11 May

News

Great Western wires in use by September

Network Rail tells RAIL the first section of electrified track to be completed on the GWML will be between Reading and Didcot at the end of September.

11 May

Great Western Main Line

New technology to scrap mobile signal blackspots due from 2026

Network Rail explains work done to fix almost daily Great Western Main Line failures

Proposal to increase Old Oak Common line speed submitted by Network Rail

Network Rail "can't support" Lumo Paignton plans as it outlines capacity concerns

South West politicians call for service improvements to offset Old Oak Common disruption

New open access operator given go-ahead to launch service between Swindon and Taunton

Heathrow Rail Link withdrawn, but MP vows to carry on

Paddington-Reading Crossrail trains to begin running from December 15

Grand Union Class 802s to serve Llanelli from 2023?

FROM THE ARCHIVES: What’s it like in the cab of an IET?

Great Western has similar problems encountered with a West Coast upgrade -DfT

£47 million spent on deferred sections of Great Western modernisation

GWR electrification uncertainty raises timetable issues

Hitachi to build nine additional bi-mode trains for GWR

Latest Class 387 Electrostar deal details

Great Western Main Line section set to 'go live'

Hitachi converts GWR ‘801s’ to bi-mode operation

Network Rail plans vital Bank Holiday work

GWML wires will meet Hendy targets - Network Rail

Great Western wires in use by September

Most read

No takers so first DB Cargo UK Class 67 goes for scrap

HS2 faces £100bn cost and delay until late-2030s, government told

FirstGroup explains why Class 222s were "only option" for Lumo Euston-Stirling service

Great Western Main Line

New technology to scrap mobile signal blackspots due from 2026

Network Rail explains work done to fix almost daily Great Western Main Line failures

Proposal to increase Old Oak Common line speed submitted by Network Rail

Network Rail "can't support" Lumo Paignton plans as it outlines capacity concerns

South West politicians call for service improvements to offset Old Oak Common disruption

New open access operator given go-ahead to launch service between Swindon and Taunton

Heathrow Rail Link withdrawn, but MP vows to carry on

Paddington-Reading Crossrail trains to begin running from December 15

Grand Union Class 802s to serve Llanelli from 2023?

FROM THE ARCHIVES: What’s it like in the cab of an IET?

Great Western has similar problems encountered with a West Coast upgrade -DfT

£47 million spent on deferred sections of Great Western modernisation

GWR electrification uncertainty raises timetable issues

Hitachi to build nine additional bi-mode trains for GWR

Latest Class 387 Electrostar deal details

Great Western Main Line section set to 'go live'

Hitachi converts GWR ‘801s’ to bi-mode operation

Network Rail plans vital Bank Holiday work

GWML wires will meet Hendy targets - Network Rail

Great Western wires in use by September

Most read

No takers so first DB Cargo UK Class 67 goes for scrap

HS2 faces £100bn cost and delay until late-2030s, government told

FirstGroup explains why Class 222s were "only option" for Lumo Euston-Stirling service

GB Railfreight planning to repurpose at least 12 more Class 66s for heavy trainloads

DB Cargo UK discussing transferring drivers to rival as it deals with Network Rail contract loss

FirstGroup confirms Class 222s for Euston-Stirling Lumo route

Chiltern Railways on verge of agreeing deal to take ex-TransPennine Express Mk 5s

Why the Class 67s have been running on borrowed time for nearly the whole of their lives

Network Rail begins process to replace rail infrastructure monitoring trains