Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of Great Western Railway

[whole diary]

[Don]

I got on the 1648 at Oxford yesterday (12th December) to find that the New MD of First Great Western, Mark Hopwood, was on board, sitting with his young family. They got off at Evesham. 

Are we lucky enough to have the boss living on the line, or was he visiting friends?  Either way, train on time with unusually a female driver.

[devon_metro]

In Standard clasS?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

In Standard clasS?

well hes not on beechings sallery :0)

[Ollie]

Original post doesn't mention what class they were in?

[Don]

Original post doesn't mention what class they were in?

First, last coach.

[Ollie]

Original post doesn't mention what class they were in?

First, last coach.

Thought it would be, not sure why others assumed it be standard.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

if i was md i would go standard...

[Phil]

... if I was MD, standard class would be first class.

Then again I'd also reintroduce 3rd class for people who don't mind sitting on benches so long as it's cheap.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

... if I was MD, standard class would be first class.

Then again I'd also reintroduce 3rd class for people who don't mind sitting on benches so long as it's cheap.

is that not what the pacers are?

[Ollie]

Are we lucky enough to have the boss living on the line

As an update, no, he doesn't, asked him today.

[woody]

A bright future for rail ^ we'll get there as fast as we can.
First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood is firmly focused on the art of the possible.

And, as far as he is concerned, that includes train journeys of two hours and 40 minutes between Plymouth and London.

Last month, Mr Hopwood and around 50 business leaders travelled on a special non-stop train between Plymouth and Paddington to see how quickly the journey could be completed.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/business/bright-future-rail-8211-ll-fast/article-2836248-detail/article.html

[signalandtelegraph]

A bright future for rail ^ we'll get there as fast as we can.
First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood is firmly focused on the art of the possible.

And, as far as he is concerned, that includes train journeys of two hours and 40 minutes between Plymouth and London.

Last month, Mr Hopwood and around 50 business leaders travelled on a special non-stop train between Plymouth and Paddington to see how quickly the journey could be completed.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/business/bright-future-rail-8211-ll-fast/article-2836248-detail/article.html

And it wasnt a full length HST^▸ (High Speed Train), it's just not going to happen very soon!

[woody]

A bright future for rail ^ we'll get there as fast as we can.
First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood is firmly focused on the art of the possible.

And, as far as he is concerned, that includes train journeys of two hours and 40 minutes between Plymouth and London.

Last month, Mr Hopwood and around 50 business leaders travelled on a special non-stop train between Plymouth and Paddington to see how quickly the journey could be completed.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/business/bright-future-rail-8211-ll-fast/article-2836248-detail/article.html

And it wasnt a full length HST^▸ (High Speed Train), it's just not going to happen very soon!

You know that and I know that,no more than a PR^▸ (Public Relations) exercise really to calm the fears of the business natives in the far west worried that they are being left behind the rest of the country especially in the light of the Financial Times article that the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) at least to Bristol is likely to be electrified.
PS. Another bad day yesterday for timekeeping on Penzance/Paddington trains in Devon and Cornwall with most 15/20 minutes late into Exeter.FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) Mark Hopwood needs to sort the ongoing problems with the present timetable in Devon and Cornwall before talking "in the longer term".

[JayMac]

You learn something new everyday!

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Managing Director Mark Hopwood is also a presenter on Hospital Radio Basingstoke.

http://www.hrbasingstoke.co.uk/the-team/mark-hopwood.htm

[jester]

Working his sundays i see.....