Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
 Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 23:15 18 Apr 2025
 
* Eurostar trains hit by delays ahead of Easter weekend
- British man, 27, killed by avalanche in French Alps
- US lays out plans to hit Chinese ships with port fees
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]		 10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railsay Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM
14/05/25 - West Wiltshire RUG

On this day
18th Apr (2018)
SEWWEB leaflet launched and Aztec West (link)
Train RunningCancelled
22:36 Reading to Shalford
23:33 Reading to Gatwick Airport
19/04/25 03:34 London Paddington to Reading
19/04/25 05:43 Reading to London Paddington
19/04/25 06:52 Par to Newquay
Short Run
22:38 Worcester Shrub Hill to Bristol Temple Meads
Delayed
19:15 Penzance to Bristol Temple Meads
20:24 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
20:45 London Paddington to Great Malvern
21:00 Penzance to Exeter St Davids
21:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads
•
PollsThere are no open or recent polls
•
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
•
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
•
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
•
Train companiesSelect from:
GWR
SWR
XC
Chiltern
TfL
TfW
WMR
Southern
• Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple Meads • Bath Spa • Chippenham • Swindon • Didcot Parkway • Reading • London Paddington • Melksham
Exeter St Davids • Taunton • Westbury • Trowbridge • Bristol Parkway • Cardiff Central • Oxford • Cheltenham Spa • Birmingham New Street
April 18, 2025, 23:25:48 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[147] FOSS and FOSW validity - some quirks
[111] Fifteen years of the Transwilts CRP
[97] Wiltshire Day Rover - new multi-operator bus ticket
[81] St Erth station - facilities, footbridge, improvements, incide...
[56] Destination: London Travelcard Zones 1-6
[44] Melksham's rail service - where are we, on the anniversary of ...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > Looking forward - the next 5, 10 and 20 years > Potential bidders for the next Greater Western franchise
Pages: 1 ... 10 11 [12]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: Potential bidders for the next Greater Western franchise  (Read 105577 times)
The SprinterMeister
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 665


Trundling round the SW

Chris64ex4@hotmail.com
View Profile Email
« Reply #165 on: April 08, 2012, 18:44:01 »
Quote from: Temple Meads on April 07, 2012, 22:15:22
Quote from: bignosemac on April 07, 2012, 22:08:04
I would.  Wink

Regularly go Bristol TM▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) - Waterloo in one. Perfectly acceptable.

That is an SWT▸ (South West Trains) unit though, the 159's and SWT 158's seem to have a bit more legroom over the FGW▸ (First Great Western) 158's, which are a bit cramped for me (6ft 1in).

Still an OK ride though.

The SWT units have OEM 158 / 159 seats in them but with extra padding. Nice and comfy on the posterior but a bit tight on legroom as the seat pitch is the same as previously. Not sure I could hack 3,5 hours on one.
Logged
Trundling gently round the SW
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 19304



View Profile
« Reply #166 on: April 08, 2012, 19:04:40 »
Ahhh, but 'tis only 3 hours from Bristol - Waterloo. Less on the return.  Tongue Wink Grin.
Logged
"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
The SprinterMeister
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 665


Trundling round the SW

Chris64ex4@hotmail.com
View Profile Email
« Reply #167 on: April 08, 2012, 19:30:51 »
Quote from: bignosemac on April 08, 2012, 19:04:40
Ahhh, but 'tis only 3 hours from Bristol - Waterloo. Less on the return.  Tongue Wink Grin.
Downhill on the way back presumably...
 Grin
Logged
Trundling gently round the SW
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #168 on: April 08, 2012, 19:48:05 »
Quote from: The SprinterMeister on April 08, 2012, 18:44:01
The SWT▸ (South West Trains) units have OEM 158 / 159 seats in them but with extra padding. Nice and comfy on the posterior but a bit tight on legroom as the seat pitch is the same as previously. Not sure I could hack 3,5 hours on one.

Tend to agree - Salisbury to Basingstoke was about as far as I felt comfortable with on a 159. Although I changed into a Voyager at BSK▸ (Basingstoke station, or Brake Standard Corridor (carriage), depending on context) which wasn't exactly an upgrade.
Logged
smokey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1129


View Profile
« Reply #169 on: April 12, 2012, 13:07:46 »
I travelled West Cornwall to Shrewsbury (or vicky versa)  on a Class 158 many times in Wales & West days and didn't find it at all bad, though it did get busy in places, but that was a shortage of carriage(s) problem!

Put another way I'd prefer 6 hours on a 158 Penzance to Shrewsury, than less than an Hour Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads on a class 150, 153, 143 or even a class 221
Logged
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #170 on: June 25, 2012, 22:11:06 »
Back on the topic of potential bidders for FGW▸ (First Great Western) (and with due apologies if anyone has already posted this elsewhere), Barry Doe comes out very strongly in favour of First retaining the franchise in his column in RAIL issue 698.
Logged
6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2754



View Profile Email
« Reply #171 on: June 25, 2012, 22:21:27 »
Is it December we find out?
Logged
anthony215
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1319


View Profile Email
« Reply #172 on: June 25, 2012, 23:35:49 »
Quote from: relex109 on June 25, 2012, 22:21:27
Is it December we find out?


Yes that was when we were supposed to find out but as I posted on the Intercity express program thread it looks like it will be delayed til January/February 2013 (This information taken from WNXX▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) and person who made the post is normally pretty reliable)
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 ... 10 11 [12]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of page • Jump to Forum Home Page