Great Western Railway (train operating company)

Great Western Railway

Class 802 IET and Class 43 Castle at Penzance
Overview
Franchise(s)	InterCity Great Western 4 February 1996 – 31 March 2006 Greater Western 1 April 2006 – 25 June 2028[1]
Main region(s)	Greater London South East England South West England South Wales
Other region(s)	East Midlands West Midlands
Fleet size	8 Class 08 shunting locos 4 Class 43 HST Castle sets 5 Class 57 diesel locomotives for 2 Night Riviera sleeper sets 20 Class 150 Sprinter units 18 Class 158 Express Sprinter units 36 Class 165 Networker Turbo units 21 Class 166 Networker Turbo units 30 Class 387 Electrostar units 57 Class 800 IET units 36 Class 802 IET units
Stations called at	over 270[2]
Stations operated	199
Parent company	FirstGroup
Reporting mark	GW
Predecessor	First Great Western Link Wessex Trains
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
Length	1,323.0 mi (2,129.2 km)[citation needed]
Other
Website	www.gwr.com
System map

First Greater Western, trading as Great Western Railway (GWR), is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that provides services in the Greater Western franchise area. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR operates long-distance inter-city services along the Great Western Main Line to and from the West of England and South Wales, inter-city services from London to the West Country via the Reading–Taunton line, and the Night Riviera sleeper service between London and Penzance. It provides outer-suburban services in West London; commuter services from its London terminus at London Paddington to the Thames Valley region, including parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire; and regional services throughout the West of England and South Wales to the South coast of England. Great Western Railway also operates the Heathrow Express service.

The company began operating in February 1996 as Great Western Trains, as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In December 1998, it became First Great Western after FirstGroup bought out its partners' shares in Great Western Holdings. In April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains were combined into the new Greater Western franchise and brought under the First Great Western brand. The company adopted its current name and a new livery in September 2015 to coincide with the start of a contract that was subsequently extended to run until June 2028.