First IET to call at Bedwyn in passenger service

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Hi All,
 
GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have just informed us that the 1707 from Paddington this evening (July 2nd), arriving Bedwyn shortly after 1820, will be one of the new nine car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) trains. This will be the first time that an IET has called at Bedwyn.
 
It’s a significant milestone for Bedwyn station – in 2009 electrification as far as Newbury was announced. This would have relegated Kintbury, Hungerford and Bedwyn to a diesel shuttle to Newbury i.e. no more direct trains to Paddington. It was a long a painful battle for us at the passenger group as we campaigned to get this decision reversed. The decision to purchase bi-mode IET trains (electric to Newbury, then seamlessly switching to diesel for the run down to Bedwyn) saved the day.
 
Our new service, following the description in the previous paragraph, is not set to come in until January 2019. However, there will be some phasing in of the new IET trains as the year progresses.
 
GWR are sending a photographer to take some photos of the new train being welcomed into our station this evening.
 
If you can join me there I’d be very grateful.
 
Best wishes
 
Steve Smith
Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group

Train also calls at Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford, Westbury and Frome.   I wonder if it will be the first IET in passenger service to call at any / all of those?

Also interesting to see if it has to "wait time" at stations because of the reduced dwell time needed for automatic rather than manual (slam) doors.

[JayMac]

With there having already been door related delays at other stations for the first Class 800/3 in service I don't think we'll see this service waiting time tonight. Give it a week or two to bed(wyn) in!

[grahame]

With there having already been door related delays at other stations for the first Class 800/3 in service I don't think we'll see this service waiting time tonight. Give it a week or two to bed(wyn) in!

It won't have 2 weeks though ... five days this week, one day next, then 6th August - Bedwyn Station closed otherwise because of electrification work which - err - doesn't actually extend to Bedwyn!

[BandHcommuter]

Today's 1707 Paddington to Frome service was pipped at the post as the first IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) passenger service at the Berks and Hants stations by the 1807 on the same journey last Thursday (28/06). This was a substitute for the planned HST^▸ (High Speed Train), and was formed of 5 coaches. It managed some impressively short dwell times at the small stations, such that a 12 minute late departure from Reading was transformed into a right time arrival into Frome.

[Adelante_CCT]

So who wants to go down to Bedwyn to be the party pooper.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C40285/2018/06/28/advanced