#great-western-railway — Public Fediverse posts

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSddsj #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSddsj #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSddsj #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSddsj #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSddsj #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSdbd9 #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSdbd9 #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSdbd9 #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSdbd9 #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Details released of new OO Gauge GWR steam locomotives http://dlvr.it/TSdbd9 #Dapol #DCC #GreatWesternRailway #ModelRailways

Major two-week disruption for train passengers in Wales

Network Rail has confirmed it is set to undertake work on the Severn Tunnel that the company says…
#Bristol #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #Britain #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #Newport #TrafficandTravel
https://www.europesays.com/uk/971839/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/971839/ Major two-week disruption for train passengers in Wales #Bristol #Britain #England #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #Newport #TrafficAndTravel #UK #UnitedKingdom

Severn Tunnel shuts THIS SATURDAY for three weeks — and with half-term looming, here’s what south Wales rail passengers need to know right now

If you’re planning to travel by train between south Wales and Bristol this half-term, stop what you’re doing and read this first.

The Severn Tunnel closes this Saturday — 23 May — and does not reopen until the early hours of Tuesday 9 June. For more than two weeks, there will be no trains between Newport and Bristol Parkway. Replacement buses will run instead, and journey times will be significantly longer.

Great Western Railway and Network Rail are urging passengers to check their journey at GWR.com before travelling and allow extra time. The closure covers the entire May half-term holiday — one of the busiest travel weeks of the year — and there is no easy workaround.

During most of the closure, some trains will continue to run between London and south Wales via Gloucester — a longer route, but still operational. That option disappears entirely on Sunday 24 May, the most restricted day of the entire closure. On that day, trains will run only between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway, and between Newport and Swansea or Carmarthen. If you need to get between south Wales and Bristol on Sunday 24 May, plan ahead now.

For passengers between Swansea, Llanelli and Carmarthen travelling to London, some Gloucester diversions will operate — but check individual services before you travel, as not all London trains will divert that way.

And don’t assume the disruption ends the moment the tunnel reopens. Services between south Wales and Bristol will continue to be affected until midday on Sunday 14 June — meaning the full window of disruption runs to nearly three weeks and two days.

So why is this happening? The short answer is that the Severn Tunnel has been quietly falling apart from the inside — and this closure is the fix.

The 4.35-mile tunnel runs beneath the Severn Estuary, which makes it one of the most corrosive environments on the entire UK rail network. Moisture and saltwater eat through the overhead power system far faster than anywhere else on the network. Since electrification, the tunnel has needed increasingly frequent maintenance — and the risk of a serious failure has been growing.

Network Rail’s solution is a new overhead wiring system using a single 7km copper contact wire supported by specially designed bridge arms, engineered to withstand exactly the conditions that have been destroying its predecessor. They describe the installation at this scale as a world first.

The numbers involved are staggering. Engineers will replace 838 bridge arms inside the tunnel, renew 9,000 metres of overhead wiring, and carry out track, drainage and infrastructure works in the Bristol and Patchway areas — all within the closure window, working around the clock.

Nia Watkins, Regional Asset Manager at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said the upgrade would transform the reliability of the route. “This complex and highly coordinated upgrade is being delivered at a world-first scale across the tunnel’s full length — making the railway more resilient and reducing the risk of future disruption for passengers and freight,” she said.

Marcus Deegan, GWR’s Station Manager at Bristol Parkway, said staff would be on hand throughout to help passengers find their way. “We know that bus replacement services are a significant ask of passengers, and we’re genuinely grateful for their patience,” he said. “The most important thing anyone can do right now is check their journey in advance at GWR.com and allow a little extra time.”

Alongside the Severn Tunnel work, Network Rail will also carry out upgrades serving the new Bristol Brabazon station — due to open on the former Filton airfield site later this year. The station will bring passenger services back to the Henbury line for the first time since 1964.

Once this upgrade is complete, the tunnel should be significantly more reliable — with less routine maintenance needed and a much lower risk of the kind of unplanned failures that have disrupted passengers in recent years. The pain of the next three weeks is the price of that improvement.

Full journey planning advice and live travel updates are available at GWR.com. Passengers can also call the Network Rail national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Great Western Railway news from Swansea Bay News
All our coverage of GWR services across south-west Wales.

Public transport news from Swansea Bay News
The latest travel and transport stories from across the region.

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVTvq #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVTvq #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVTvq #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVTvq #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVTvq #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVSjm #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVSjm #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVSjm #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVSjm #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Portsmouth Direct Line to Close for 5 days during May Half-Term http://dlvr.it/TSVSjm #Disruption #Fratton #GreatWesternRailway #Hampshire

Could Berkshire man be Britain’s longest-serving commuter? http://dlvr.it/TSSw57 #GreatWesternRailway #Maidenhead #Network #RailNews

Could Berkshire man be Britain’s longest-serving commuter? http://dlvr.it/TSSw57 #GreatWesternRailway #Maidenhead #Network #RailNews

Could Berkshire man be Britain’s longest-serving commuter? http://dlvr.it/TSSw57 #GreatWesternRailway #Maidenhead #Network #RailNews

Could Berkshire man be Britain’s longest-serving commuter? http://dlvr.it/TSSw57 #GreatWesternRailway #Maidenhead #Network #RailNews

Could Berkshire man be Britain’s longest-serving commuter? http://dlvr.it/TSSw57 #GreatWesternRailway #Maidenhead #Network #RailNews

https://www.europesays.com/britain/32872/ Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train #GreatWesternRailway #London #TrafficAndTravel

https://www.europesays.com/britain/32839/ Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train #GreatWesternRailway #London #TrafficAndTravel

https://www.europesays.com/britain/32817/ Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train #GreatWesternRailway #London #TrafficAndTravel

Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train

All lines are closed between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow Airport after a person was hit by a…
#London #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #Britain #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #london #TrafficandTravel
https://www.europesays.com/uk/950058/

Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train

All lines are closed between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow Airport after a person was hit by a…
#London #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #Britain #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #london #TrafficandTravel
https://www.europesays.com/uk/950056/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/950056/ Major disruption between London Paddington and Reading after person hit by train #Britain #England #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #london #TrafficAndTravel #UK #UnitedKingdom

Model depicts Gloucester Station through the ages http://dlvr.it/TSS8rW #Gloucester #GreatWesternRailway #Network #RailNews

Model depicts Gloucester Station through the ages http://dlvr.it/TSS8rW #Gloucester #GreatWesternRailway #Network #RailNews

Model depicts Gloucester Station through the ages http://dlvr.it/TSS8rW #Gloucester #GreatWesternRailway #Network #RailNews

Model depicts Gloucester Station through the ages http://dlvr.it/TSS8rW #Gloucester #GreatWesternRailway #Network #RailNews

Model depicts Gloucester Station through the ages http://dlvr.it/TSS8rW #Gloucester #GreatWesternRailway #Network #RailNews

Cornish railway station prepares for biggest timetable change in 60 years http://dlvr.it/TSS7HG #Class175 #Cornwall #GreatWesternRailway #London

Cornish railway station prepares for biggest timetable change in 60 years http://dlvr.it/TSS7HG #Class175 #Cornwall #GreatWesternRailway #London

Cornish railway station prepares for biggest timetable change in 60 years http://dlvr.it/TSS7HG #Class175 #Cornwall #GreatWesternRailway #London

Cornish railway station prepares for biggest timetable change in 60 years http://dlvr.it/TSS7HG #Class175 #Cornwall #GreatWesternRailway #London

Cornish railway station prepares for biggest timetable change in 60 years http://dlvr.it/TSS7HG #Class175 #Cornwall #GreatWesternRailway #London

RAIL: Great Western Railway to be nationalised in December as south Wales services brought into public ownership

Great Western Railway (GWR), which runs services between London Paddington and south and south-west England and south Wales, will be nationalised on 13 December, the Department for Transport has announced.

It will become the eleventh operator to be brought into public ownership under the Government’s programme to reform the rail network, with the transfer forming part of the wider move towards a unified Great British Railways structure.

Three operators will remain in private hands after the change — Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway, though CrossCountry is expected to follow into public ownership on 17 October next year.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said the move was “another significant moment” for the Government’s public ownership programme, adding that it brought “a simpler, more reliable network under Great British Railways a step closer.”

“The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring services back into public ownership and put passengers, not shareholders, at the heart of our railways,” the spokesperson added.

The process does not involve the Government buying GWR outright. Instead, FirstGroup’s management contract is being allowed to expire, with the operation folding into a separate Government-owned entity known as DfT Operator — the same vehicle already used for LNER, Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express, South Western Railway and others.

GWR will be the twelfth company to join it once Govia Thameslink Railway transfers at the end of this month and Chiltern Railways follows in September. Great British Railways, which will ultimately replace the separate operator brands, is headquartered in Derby and expected to launch in 2027.

GWR said its priority throughout the transition would be “maintaining a punctual, reliable service for customers while continuing to support regional growth and connectivity across our network.” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has previously warned that renationalisation will not necessarily result in lower fares, with the focus instead on improving services and infrastructure.

The GWR nationalisation is the latest step in the creation of Great British Railways — though the Union Flag branding unveiled for the new national operator last December will not appear on local trains serving south-west Wales until later in the decade.

The announcement carries a particular twist for FirstGroup, which currently operates GWR and is set to lose the franchise to the state in December — while simultaneously building a new commercial foothold on the same Paddington corridor through its open access brand, Lumo.

Lumo has confirmed a December 2027 launch for a new direct Carmarthen to London Paddington service, calling at Llanelli, Gowerton, Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway, running five return journeys a day using five new Hitachi trains on order.

Because Lumo operates as an open access operator rather than a franchised one, it falls outside the nationalisation programme — meaning FirstGroup stands to lose GWR to the state while retaining a commercial presence on the very same route through a different vehicle, effectively competing with a publicly-owned operator it previously ran itself.

The route has a long history. The original proposals were submitted by Grand Union Trains, which secured regulatory approval in 2022 following a battle with GWR, which had opposed the application. Grand Union subsequently sold its rights to the route to FirstGroup in 2024.

GWR cautioned that new services should not be detrimental to existing services or to future services already agreed, and said it would continue working with industry partners to develop services in the best interests of passengers and taxpayers. Carmarthenshire County Council had thrown its support behind the original Grand Union proposals, arguing a direct London connection would bring significant economic benefits to west Wales.

The Lumo service will give passengers at Carmarthen, Llanelli and Gowerton a genuine alternative to GWR on the London route for the first time — though it will not serve Milford Haven or Pembroke Dock directly.

Rail campaigners have also been pressing for funding clarity from the Welsh Government over a direct Milford Haven to London service, a commitment made by Welsh Labour ahead of this week’s Senedd election alongside a pledge of £50 million for Pembrokeshire rail upgrades. Transport for Wales is separately pursuing direct services between west Wales and Bristol Temple Meads, potentially serving Milford Haven, Swansea, Neath, Carmarthen and Bridgend from September 2026.

The broader question of what public ownership means for the region’s longer-term rail ambitions — including the £14 billion metro vision for Swansea and west Wales — remains to be seen as Great British Railways takes shape.

Our rail coverage

Lumo to launch direct Carmarthen to London Paddington service in December 2027 — with stops at Llanelli and Gowerton
The full story of how the route went from Grand Union proposal to FirstGroup reality.

Transport for Wales wants to run trains to Bristol — and it could mean direct services from Milford Haven, Swansea and Carmarthen
New direct services to Bristol could transform connectivity across west Wales.

Campaigners demand funding answers as Labour pledges direct Milford Haven to London train service
Rail campaigners question where the money will come from for Wales’s £14 billion rail pipeline.

Union flag rail designs unveiled — South West Wales impact comes later
What Great British Railways branding means for trains in our region.

£14bn metro dream for Swansea — but will West Wales finally get its share?
The long-term vision for rail investment across the region.

Great Western Railway to be nationalised this year

“I’m sure everyone in the West who – like me – catches the train will welcome this news”…
#Bristol #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #BathandNorthEastSomerset #Britain #FirstGroup #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #Henbury #MetroMayor #NetworkRail #Portishead #SouthGloucestershire #Transport #WestofEnglandCombinedAuthority
https://www.europesays.com/uk/946706/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/946706/ Great Western Railway to be nationalised this year #BathAndNorthEastSomerset #Bristol #Britain #England #FirstGroup #GreatBritain #GreatWesternRailway #Henbury #MetroMayor #NetworkRail #Portishead #SouthGloucestershire #Transport #UK #UnitedKingdom #WestOfEnglandCombinedAuthority

RAIL: Transport for Wales wants to run trains to Bristol — and it could mean direct services from Milford Haven, Swansea and Carmarthen

Passengers from across west Wales could soon have a direct rail link to Bristol – after Transport for Wales applied for permission to run a new cross-border service to Bristol Temple Meads.

TfW has submitted an application to the rail regulator to launch the route, which it hopes to get off the ground as soon as September 2026. The Office of Rail and Road said it could not give any timeframe for when a decision would be made.

The plans are ambitious. West of Cardiff, TfW wants services to run all the way from Milford Haven or Fishguard – meaning passengers at Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot Parkway, Carmarthen and Bridgend could all potentially board a train straight through to Bristol without changing.

In Cardiff, TfW is targeting two services an hour to Bristol Temple Meads, calling at Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and Stapleton Road. One train an hour would also run via Bristol Parkway on Monday to Saturday.

It is a significant step for the operator, which already runs cross-border services from south Wales to Manchester but has never operated on the Cardiff to Bristol route.

It is worth noting that the Lumo service — confirmed this week as launching in December 2027 between Carmarthen and London Paddington — will also call at Bristol Parkway, giving west Wales passengers another option for reaching the Bristol area from late 2027. TfW’s proposed service would add Bristol Temple Meads itself to that picture, and significantly earlier if approved.

There is one complication. GWR already runs twice an hour between Cardiff and Bristol Temple Meads – around 34 services a day. CrossCountry also operates a small number of early morning services on the route, though GWR is overwhelmingly the dominant operator.

GWR said it welcomed enhancements on the route but cautioned that any new services should not be detrimental to existing services or to future services already agreed. A spokesperson said the company would continue working with industry partners to ensure railway services were developed in the best way for passengers and taxpayers.

GWR is itself in the process of being absorbed into Great British Railways as part of the UK Government’s rail nationalisation programme – a transition that will affect services across south-west Wales, though the full impact is not expected to be felt here for some time.

The Bristol application is one of the more tangible near-term steps in TfW’s wider rail ambitions for the region. A £14 billion long-term pipeline of improvements – including a Swansea Bay Metro and upgrades to the south Wales mainline – has been identified, but rail campaigners have questioned where the money will actually come from to deliver it.

For now, the Bristol route represents something more immediate – a practical improvement that could be running within months, if the regulator gives the green light.

Our transport coverage

£14bn metro dream for Swansea — but will West Wales finally get its share?
TfW’s long-term rail vision and what it means for south-west Wales.

Rail campaigners demand funding answers from next Welsh Government
The wider debate over how Wales’s rail ambitions will be funded.

Union flag rail designs unveiled — south-west Wales impact comes later
What GBR nationalisation means for rail in our region.

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNZwK #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNZwK #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNZwK #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNZwK #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNZwK #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNYYH #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNYYH #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNYYH #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNYYH #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Track and operations at Paddington station united under common leadership http://dlvr.it/TSNYYH #GreatWesternRailway #Infrastructure #LondonPaddington #Network

Anybody here have any experience on taking a bicycle (full size) on the Guildford-Gatwick route (via Redhill) with Great Western Railway?

#BikeTooter #Rail #GreatWesternRailway #UKCycling

Anybody here have any experience on taking a bicycle (full size) on the Guildford-Gatwick route (via Redhill) with Great Western Railway?

#BikeTooter #Rail #GreatWesternRailway #UKCycling