How First added to their Empire!? | Western Operators #3 - Thames Trains & First Great Western Link
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Hello & welcome to the 29th Failed Franchise episode and the third episode of my Western rail operators mini-series where I look at the operators of Western England. Today I will be looking at two operators of the Thames Franchise; Thames Trains and latere First Great Western Link - but should these operators be deemed as a failure? That's what I'll be trying to answer today!
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I’m in a pinned comment. This is my greatest achievement
Wait a minute Thames Trains and First Great Western Link... They have merged into Thameslink.
I liked the little touches of humour "The little-known MP David Cameron" and the units that couldn't be re-liveried as the "paint was still under warranty". Such is life Danny!
Clive the paint story is the genuine truth! Thames just wanted to save money - I wasn't joking there 😅
@@Vanmanyo How often the truth is funny, Danny!
What eventually fixed the overcrowding problem between Didcot and Paddington, was replacing the 2 carriage Class 165s with 12 carriage Class 387s (8 carriages between Didcot and Reading, with an extra 4 carriages attached to the train at Reading in the Mon-Thurs peak).
Any company that has overcrowding problems and doesn't buy new train carriages should be deemed a failure. Looking particularly at Arriva CrossCountry with their 4 carriage Class 220s.
The good thing about XC is that they do frequently run the trains in double (albeit especially with routes to the south west is that when doubled the trains often run half empty for a proportion of the journey leading to XC believing its acceptable for the whole route which it isnt) and they are now recieving more voyagers from Avanti which should help the problem
Remember when Thames trains opetated Reigate station for one week, the station manager was based at Maidenhead!
When I saw the word Empire, I automatically thought that you were going to do one on how the railway network was built around the Empire
But it was an excellent video as always
Love this series. I grew up next to the GWML in Slough so all these TOCs bring back memories!
The ultimate failed franchise: Chris Grayling as transport sectary!
Happy new year sir. I used to use the company on the North Downs Line, both between Redhill and Gatwick Airport and Redhill and Reigate to Dorking Deepdene. Not the best post privatisation. Always just inside the boundary for them to pay out under delay repay. Thames Trains were not much better on the line.
Most of the Reading to London Thames Trains stopping services have since been taken over by the Elizabeth line and now use the new underground platforms at Paddington en route to Abbey Wood in south east London, the stopping services from Didcot to Reading, which continue to Paddington, now stop only at Twyford, Maidenhead and Slough now, in fact before electrification, the services used to continue to Oxford
First is that one company that is massive but doesn't deserve much praise
The Western region has always lacked enough stock or proper electrification go offer proper improved services.
@@ethmister I'm talking about the company as a whole
Imagine if Thames Trains was still here today and would have had the Class 387s. I do remember Thames Trains, First Great Western Link and Network Southeast.
I used and like them a lot despite of the over crowding.
You forgot to mention the driver of the hst at Ladbroke Grove !
Brian cooper was the driver a really nice guy
Also the oxford to Bristol service initially used class 158 s
Borrowed from central trains
David Cameron wouldn't be so little well known in the end he became PM for a time. That said i didn't know paint schemes had warranties in know of warranties on kettles, toasters and computers to name a few but paint schemes? Well you had me gobsmacked about that Danny.
It is funny how Cameron went from Thames Trains to Brexit in little over 10 years!
Do you think that Thames Trains could one day come back if Great Western Railway franchise was to end. Same with bringing back Wessex Trains, Wales & West and Welsh Trains. I do remember Thames Trains and they were like Silverlink Trains, Central Trains (now CrossCountry) and Hull Trains.
Honestly, I forgot that London got targeted for terrorist attacks… well besides the IRA.
Finally
🫡
Oxford to Bristol trains were a waste of time,hardly anyone used them and they took up paths on the mainline.
First group: the evil empire of the rail franchising scheme!😂😈
My Local Trains These Are