First Great Western

FGW announce service plan during rail strike

First Great Western (FGW) has issued details of disruption to its services if planned strikes by workers go ahead over the next couple of weeks.

The company has confirmed it expects to run the majority of London Thames Valley services but long distance and local rail services will be reduced, should the planned strike action go ahead.

Should industrial action go ahead it is...

Frame Your Train competition returns

First Great Western (FGW) has announced the return of the award-winning Frame Your Train competition – running throughout August.

It calls on passengers travelling on First Great Western trains to reach for their smartphone, snap a view from the window, and upload the image to Instagram using the hashtag #FGWFrameYourTrain. All entries are then uploaded to an interactive map, and...

Rail workers to strike over bank holiday

Rail workers on First Great Western trains are to stage a series of strikes, including over the August bank holiday weekend.

The RMT has announced the strikes following a row over the introduction of the new Hitachi trains.

The RMT says the new trains will mean a threat to jobs, services and passenger safety.

RMT members have been told not to work from 12.01am-11.59pm...

Chamber welcomes £360m investment for London to Cornwall train fleet

Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Government’s announcement, made today, giving the go ahead to a £360million investment in state of the art trains between London and Cornwall.

The deal comes following a letter written by Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Peter Hartland, to Devon MP’s earlier this summer, urging them to reach a positive...

Rock solid: FGW strike action continues

Pickets are out in force again today as a strike over jobs, services and safety on First Great Western ‎enters it's second full day.

General Secretary Mick Cash said: "The solidarity, unity and fighting spirit of RMT members the length and breadth of the FGW franchise has been a fantastic example for the whole trade union movement as we face up to attacks on our jobs and conditions and...

Rail strike to go ahead

Rail Union RMT said this morning that talks aimed at settling a dispute on First Great Western over the threat to jobs and safety from the introduction of the new Hitachi Inter-City trains have broken down without agreement and the forty eight hours of strike action across the company starting at 18.30 hours on Wednesday 8th July goes ahead as planned.

There will also be a rally in...

First Great Western announces upgrades

First Great Western has announced proposals to deliver the largest train fleet upgrade in a generation on the Great Western network as part of its plans for the new franchise that starts in September, and will run until at least April 2019.

In a deal put together with the Department for Transport, First Great Western’s plans would see the age of First Great Western’s train fleet...

Luke Pollard: New trains could be ordered today - so why the delay?

Labour candidate Luke Pollard has called on First Great Western and the Government to make an announcement on new trains before the election, not after it.

First Great Western has today been awarded a new four year franchise without any competition.

Luke Pollard, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said:

“The south west desperately needs...

Council leader heads to Laira depot to see progress on Wi-Fi installation

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Tudor Evans has been to see for himself how work is progressing on the mammoth task of installing free Wi-Fi on every First Great Western Train in the region.

The works to make this happen has involved engineers installing a separate aerial on every single carriage across 53 sets of trains!

Councillor Evans along with Plymouth’s business...

FGW announces SAD Therapy train carriage

Passengers enjoyed the first ever SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) therapy train carriage on the First Great Western 7.06am train from London Paddington Station to Penzance, Cornwall on Monday 2 January.

First Great Western collaborated with charity SADA, the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association, to see how they could brighten passenger’s journeys as the winter blues take their...

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