Great Western Coffee Shop

Transport Minister celebrates 50 years of Landore Engineering Depot

Welsh Government Transport Minister Edwina Hart has visited First Great Western^s (FGW) Landore Engineering Depot today [18 November], to name a train in recognition of 50 years of the site.

Landore Depot provides a work programme that has serviced, fuelled and repaired over 3600 High Speed Train (HST) sets over the last 12 months alone, in an overnight downtime often no more than three or four hours.

Minister for Economy, Science, and Transport Edwina Hart, said: ^Landore plays an important role in keeping the First Great Western fleet running. I am pleased to be officially naming this train today to recognise this significant landmark. This depot has played an important role in the community over the years and I would also like to congratulate all the staff at the site for helping to reach this landmark.^

Landore is one of four FGW depots maintaining their High Speed Train (HST) fleet, specialising in power car maintenance. The depot team^s dedication has meant that only one HST serviced at that depot was cancelled due to a train fault in the last year and saw them shortlisted in the European Rail Congress Awards 2013.

Welcoming the Minister, the Lord Mayor and other guests, First Great Western Managing Director Mark Hopwood is said: ^Landore has a proud history and I, on behalf of First Great Western, am very proud of the role the depot and its staff play in the local community. In recent years we have made significant investment in the depot infrastructure which has paid dividends for our customers, improving train reliability and has kept people moving in these increasingly congested times.^

Landore Depot is two miles East of Swansea High Street Station, built on the site of a steam locomotive shed it opened as a diesel depot in 1963.

The facility also records among the lowest accident rate across any FGW depot, having reduced by two-thirds over the last four years.

Hmmm. No mention of what will happen to Landore once the new IEP depot opens and the HST's leave. I'm not sure, does anyone know?

Shock therapy helps train engineers raise over ^1,500

Over ^1,500 has been raised by First Great Western^s Landore engineering team for the charity Help for Heroes.

Staff from Landore depot undertook a number of challenges to raise funds including the renowned Tough Mudder event, a 12 mile-long obstacle course including hanging electrical objects; as well as selling anniversary depot badges.

Seven members of the team took part in the Tough Mudder challenge, something they described as ^the hardest thing they^ve ever done^. Although it^s widely known that Tough Mudder isn^t for the faint hearted some of the obstacles even had this team quaking in their steel toe capped boots.

FGW Multi-Skilled Technician, Steve Lewis recalls: ^It was really tough. Despite all our training we struggled to stay together, but thankfully we all finished even with one of the team falling to the ground after he received an electric shock.^

In contrast Depot Manager Mike Hayes decided to raise money for the charity in a much more relaxed way. He had a pin badge designed to celebrate last November^s 50th anniversary of the depot.

Mike said: ^As the depot approached this landmark I wanted to do something to raise its profile, so we created a badge which went down really well. In fact we completely sold out.^

CEO and Co-Founder of Help for Heroes, Bryn Parry OBE, said: ^Help for Heroes is all about ^doing your bit^ and First Great Western^s support and fundraising efforts, through all these events, is deeply appreciated. In particular, we know completing a Tough Mudder is no mean feat!

^The money you have raised is greatly needed; soldiers, sailors and airmen who are injured today will still need our support in the future. They are still battling and we won't let them battle alone. On behalf of everyone at Help for Heroes and all those who the money will benefit, I would like to say thank you!^

Following the cheque presentation Mike Hayes commented: ^This has very much been a team effort and it^s absolutely brilliant to see how involved the entire depot has been^.