First Great Western, a UK based railway company, has launched new trains for the north Cotswolds area of England.
In November 2012 the company entered into a GBP29 million deal with the Department of Transport, to operate new trains and add excess capacity to its network. The company intends to provide 48 new vehicles for its customers on the completion of its expansion plans.
Currently, the company has launched five new trains, comprising of 25 carriages, to serve the North Cotswolds region. The new trains are adding around 4,500 seats on the routes that include those through Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley, and out of London.
The company managing director, Mark Hopwood, said, ‘I am delighted to be able to launch the return of these trains onto the Great Western Network.
Progress has remained on target for the vehicles to be in place before the end of the summer. This will mean virtually all the peak time services we run from Worcester and Great Malvern will now be offered by high speed Class 180s rather than turbos, with five carriages rather than three.
These trains are more comfortable on board, there are more tables for the seats and they can travel faster, offering a more pleasant travelling experience.’
The trains will be offering Wi-Fi connectivity by end of 2012, providing the company’s passengers with seamless Internet connectivity for their Wi-Fi-enabled devices throughout their entire journey.
The Cotswold Hills in south-central England are a popular tourist attraction, with rolling countryside and picture postcard towns and villages.
