First Great Western welcomes IEP announcement

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First Great Western has welcomed the Government’s announcement to spend £4.5 billion building the new generation of intercity trains.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood said: “This latest Government announcement is an essential piece of the jigsaw in improving passenger journeys across our network.

“Alongside the further electrification announced last week, these trains will give passengers a faster and more comfortable journey experience when travelling on the Great Western Main Line between London and destinations such as Oxford, Newbury, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea.

“The new trains being built under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) will replace many of our iconic high-speed trains that revolutionised rail travel in the 1970s with their 125mph top speed.

“I’m convinced IEP will deliver another revolution in passenger travel with the prospect of quicker journeys from 2017.

“The high-speed train has run on the Great Western network for more than 35 years serving the route and its passengers. They remain popular today and will continue to serve our customers over the next few years.”

More reaction

Corin Taylor, senior economic adviser at the Institute of Directors, said:

“It’s good to see the IEP contract finally signed.  Businesses will welcome more carriages and faster trains, particularly coupled with the extra electrification announced last week.

“It will be crucial to monitor the contract closely to ensure that the new trains arrive on time, on budget, and to the correct specifications.”

Chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said:

“This announcement is good news for passengers as it will mean faster, more comfortable journeys and many more seats.

“This DfT-led procurement, however, has been contentious. Some of the earlier scope of the project has been changed because of subsequent Government decisions to electrify parts of the rail network.

“Train companies believe that the key to delivering better value for money is to ensure that they play a bigger role in shaping rolling stock solutions through the competitive franchising process.  It will help get things done more quickly and bring down costs, and we welcome the Government’s support for this approach.”

1 COMMENT

  1. I am always in hope that my journeys do not become experiences. I simply want a comfortable journey, faster (not quicker) than before.

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