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On this day
13th Apr (1854)
First (broad gauge) train ran complete line from Oxford via Worcester to Wolverhampton (link)
Train RunningCancelled
17:02 London Paddington to Penzance
19:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
19:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
20:00 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon
20:17 Taunton to Bristol Temple Meads
20:25 Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads
20:26 Exeter St Davids to Bristol Temple Meads
20:38 Westbury to Swindon
21:30 Swindon to Cheltenham Spa
21:34 Swindon to Westbury
14/04/25 06:19 Par to Plymouth
Short Run
14:58 Cardiff Central to Penzance
16:02 London Paddington to Penzance
17:25 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:32 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
17:40 Cardiff Central to Westbury
18:25 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
20:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton
21:00 Cheltenham Spa to Swindon
21:09 Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads
Delayed
16:30 London Paddington to Plymouth
16:52 Paignton to London Paddington
17:35 London Paddington to Swansea
18:00 London Paddington to Plymouth
18:02 London Paddington to Penzance
18:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
18:32 London Paddington to Plymouth
19:39 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill
19:41 London Paddington to Great Malvern
19:41 Gloucester to Bristol Temple Meads
20:02 London Paddington to Plymouth
20:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 22:45 Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central
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Great Western Coffee Shop > Sideshoots - associated subjects > Railway History and related topics > OTD - 4th February (1996) - First rail franchises take over
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Author Topic: OTD - 4th February (1996) - First rail franchises take over  (Read 1228 times)
grahame
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« on: February 03, 2022, 22:36:41 »
The very first rail franchise started in 4th February 1996 - Stagecoach for South West Trains and Great Western Holdings for the Great Western franchise which at that time was the intercity services - Thames Trains and the Wales and West frachises were awarded later.

South West Trains was modified to add in the Island Line; Great Westerns was taken over by First, and then Thames Trains and Wessex, which had split from Wales and West was added to it. Stagecoach lost the rebid in 2017 and First Group (70%) and MTR▸ (Mass Transit Railway, based in Hong Kong) (30%) took over.

I'm not sure I like the instability of changes - but then passenger numbers have grown over the 26 years like never befor, so can it all be bad?  Would it have grown all the better with more stability, or grown stale and not grown so much?
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