First Great Western: Data & Information
December 1998 – September 2015
As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the Great Western InterCity franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995, and it began operations on 4th February 1996. Great Western Holdings was owned by some former British Rail managers (51%), First Bus (24.5%) and 3i (24.5%).
The company began operating in February 1996 as Great Western Trains, as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In March 1998, First Group bought out its partners' stakes to give it 100% ownership. In December 1998, the franchise was rebranded First Great Western.
On 1st April 2004, First Great Western Link began operating the Thames Trains franchise, running local services from Paddington to Slough, Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Newbury, Bedwyn, Worcester, Hereford, Banbury and Stratford upon Avon.
It also operated services from Reading to Gatwick Airport (via Guildford and Dorking), and from Reading to Basingstoke. First Great Western Link operated the Thames Trains franchise from April 2004 until it was absorbed into the Greater Western franchise in 2006.
On 1st April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchises were combined into the new Greater Western franchise, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for it.
On 13th December 2005, it was announced that FirstGroup had won the franchise. Originally, First planned to subdivide its services into three categories based on routes. Following feedback from staff and stakeholders, the decision was taken to re-brand and re-livery all services as 'First Great Western’.
In May 2011, First Group announced that it had decided not to take up the option to extend its franchise beyond the end of March 2013. It stated that, in the light of the £1 billion plan to electrify the Great Western route from London via Bristol to Cardiff, it wished to try to negotiate a longer-term deal. CEO Tim O'Toole said: "We believe we are best placed to manage these projects and capture the benefits through a longer-term franchise.”
By not taking up the option to extend its original franchise contract for a further three years, FirstGroup avoided having to pay £826.6 million to the government; it received extra subsidies totalling £133 million from the government in 2010.
In March 2012, Arriva, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for the new franchise. The winner was expected to be announced in December 2012, with the new franchisee taking over in April 2013. But it was announced in July 2012 that the franchise would be extended, due to the late issue of the invitation to tender (ITT). The ITT ran from the end of July until October 2012. The winner would have been announced in March 2013, and taken on the franchise from 21 July 2013 until the end of July 2028. The new franchise would include the introduction of new Intercity Express Trains, capacity enhancements and smart ticketing. The award of the franchise was again delayed in October 2012, while the Department for Transport (DfT) reviewed the way rail franchises were awarded.
In January 2013, the government announced that the current competition for the franchise had been aborted, and that First Group's contract had been extended until October 2013. A two-year franchise extension until September 2015 was agreed in October 2013, and subsequently extended until March 2019. A further extension to April 2019 was granted in March 2015.
The refurbishment of first-class carriages in 2014 included interiors that featured a new GWR logo with no ‘First’ branding. The whole company was rebranded Great Western Railway (GWR) on 20th September 2015 with the introduction of a green livery in recognition of the former Great Western Railway which existed between 1835 and 1947.
Read MoreAs part of the privatisation of British Rail, the Great Western InterCity franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995, and it began operations on 4th February 1996. Great Western Holdings was owned by some former British Rail managers (51%), First Bus (24.5%) and 3i (24.5%).
The company began operating in February 1996 as Great Western Trains, as part of the privatisation of British Rail. In March 1998, First Group bought out its partners' stakes to give it 100% ownership. In December 1998, the franchise was rebranded First Great Western.
On 1st April 2004, First Great Western Link began operating the Thames Trains franchise, running local services from Paddington to Slough, Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Newbury, Bedwyn, Worcester, Hereford, Banbury and Stratford upon Avon.
It also operated services from Reading to Gatwick Airport (via Guildford and Dorking), and from Reading to Basingstoke. First Great Western Link operated the Thames Trains franchise from April 2004 until it was absorbed into the Greater Western franchise in 2006.
On 1st April 2006, First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchises were combined into the new Greater Western franchise, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for it.
On 13th December 2005, it was announced that FirstGroup had won the franchise. Originally, First planned to subdivide its services into three categories based on routes. Following feedback from staff and stakeholders, the decision was taken to re-brand and re-livery all services as 'First Great Western’.
In May 2011, First Group announced that it had decided not to take up the option to extend its franchise beyond the end of March 2013. It stated that, in the light of the £1 billion plan to electrify the Great Western route from London via Bristol to Cardiff, it wished to try to negotiate a longer-term deal. CEO Tim O'Toole said: "We believe we are best placed to manage these projects and capture the benefits through a longer-term franchise.”
By not taking up the option to extend its original franchise contract for a further three years, FirstGroup avoided having to pay £826.6 million to the government; it received extra subsidies totalling £133 million from the government in 2010.
In March 2012, Arriva, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach were shortlisted to bid for the new franchise. The winner was expected to be announced in December 2012, with the new franchisee taking over in April 2013. But it was announced in July 2012 that the franchise would be extended, due to the late issue of the invitation to tender (ITT). The ITT ran from the end of July until October 2012. The winner would have been announced in March 2013, and taken on the franchise from 21 July 2013 until the end of July 2028. The new franchise would include the introduction of new Intercity Express Trains, capacity enhancements and smart ticketing. The award of the franchise was again delayed in October 2012, while the Department for Transport (DfT) reviewed the way rail franchises were awarded.
In January 2013, the government announced that the current competition for the franchise had been aborted, and that First Group's contract had been extended until October 2013. A two-year franchise extension until September 2015 was agreed in October 2013, and subsequently extended until March 2019. A further extension to April 2019 was granted in March 2015.
The refurbishment of first-class carriages in 2014 included interiors that featured a new GWR logo with no ‘First’ branding. The whole company was rebranded Great Western Railway (GWR) on 20th September 2015 with the introduction of a green livery in recognition of the former Great Western Railway which existed between 1835 and 1947.