Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 15:35 11 Jul 2026
 
* US wants Iran to pledge to stop shooting at ships in Strait of Hormuz
- See if you can spot an AI deepfake with our test
- Russia trains sights on schools, offices and buses in busy Ukrainian city
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 29/07/26 - TransWilts AGM
01/08/26 - Avoncliff to Weymouth day out
12/08/26 - Solar eclipse
15/08/26 - Imber Bus Day

On this day
11th Jul (1929)
Swindon Tramway closed (link)

Train RunningCancelled
11:20 Newquay to London Paddington
12:19 Exeter St Davids to Penzance
12:50 Penzance to Exeter St Davids
14:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:07 Taunton to Cardiff Central
14:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Foregate Street
14:40 Paignton to Exmouth
14:47 Newquay to Par
14:58 Oxford to London Paddington
15:14 Exeter Central to Barnstaple
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
15:18 Paignton to Exmouth
15:19 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
15:23 London Paddington to Oxford
15:25 Exmouth to Paignton
15:30 Greenford to West Ealing
15:34 Maidenhead to Marlow
15:45 West Ealing to Greenford
15:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
15:50 Penzance to Plymouth
15:58 Cardiff Central to Taunton
15:59 Oxford to London Paddington
16:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
16:00 Marlow to Maidenhead
16:00 Greenford to West Ealing
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
16:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
16:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth
16:13 Bristol Temple Meads to Oxford
16:22 Par to Newquay
16:23 London Paddington to Oxford
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
16:26 Exmouth to Paignton
16:38 Plymouth to Penzance
16:39 Barnstaple to Exeter Central
16:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
16:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
16:52 Worcester Foregate Street to Bristol Temple Meads
16:55 Exmouth to Paignton
16:58 Cardiff Central to Taunton
17:00 Oxford to London Paddington
17:04 Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood
17:17 Paignton to Exmouth
17:23 London Paddington to Oxford
17:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
17:35 Swindon to Westbury
17:40 Newquay to Par
17:47 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
17:59 Oxford to London Paddington
18:08 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
18:10 Weston-Super-Mare to Severn Beach
18:18 Exeter Central to Barnstaple
18:19 Paignton to Exmouth
18:20 London Paddington to Oxford
18:27 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
18:34 Par to Newquay
18:35 Westbury to Swindon
18:50 Paignton to Exmouth
18:57 Oxford to London Paddington
18:57 Exmouth to Paignton
19:30 Penzance to Plymouth
19:38 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
19:38 Newquay to Par
19:42 Barnstaple to Exeter Central
19:44 Swindon to Westbury
19:59 Oxford to London Paddington
20:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
20:01 Severn Beach to Bristol Temple Meads
20:03 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington
20:12 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth
20:32 Par to Newquay
20:46 Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads
20:53 Paignton to Exmouth
21:07 Exeter Central to Bristol Temple Meads
21:24 Newquay to Plymouth
21:50 Plymouth to Exeter St Davids
22:25 Exmouth to Exeter St Davids
22:50 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
23:06 Bristol Temple Meads to Frome
23:13 Exeter St Davids to Exmouth
23:28 London Paddington to Reading
23:50 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
23:52 Exmouth to Exeter St Davids
Short Run
10:02 Pembroke Dock to London Paddington
12:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
13:09 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
14:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
14:36 London Paddington to Plymouth
14:37 Didcot Parkway to London Paddington
14:38 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
14:55 Paignton to London Paddington
15:08 London Paddington to Didcot Parkway
etc
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
July 11, 2026, 15:47:19 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[235] Shortage of train crews on Great Western Railway - ongoing dis...
[53] Swindon <-> Westbury service updates and amendments, ongoing d...
[49] North Cotswold line delays and cancellations - 2026
[48] Google maps live bus timings
[46] Swindon Tramway, 1901 - 1929
[38] Ann Widdecombe RIP - moved topic
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7
  Print  
Author Topic: Project Churchward - future regional fleet for the West, new rolling stock to replace DMUs  (Read 55549 times)
Bob_Blakey
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1006


View Profile
« on: May 13, 2023, 11:41:55 »

Within the UK (United Kingdom) Rail Forums website I have seen mentions of a 'Project (or Operation) Churchward' - which apparently concerns the wholesale replacement of existing GWR (Great Western Railway) regional rolling stock with a single 'one design fits all' train - but interweb searches produce no other references.



Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 47227



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2023, 12:20:05 »

Within the UK (United Kingdom) Rail Forums website I have seen mentions of a 'Project (or Operation) Churchward' - which apparently concerns the wholesale replacement of existing GWR (Great Western Railway) regional rolling stock with a single 'one design fits all' train - but interweb searches produce no other references.

There's a very brief reference to it on page 15 of the GWR Stakeholder briefing of last November on the TWSW» (TravelWatch SouthWest - website) web site:
http://travelwatchsouthwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TWSW-Oct22.pptx


Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Transport User Group, West Wiltshire Rail User Group Committee and TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 19597



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2023, 13:46:41 »

Stadler FLIRTs please.
Logged

Dalmeny Caterham Shiplake Tonbridge Theale Carlisle Petts Wood
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4679


I am a retired railway Electrification Engineer


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2023, 14:15:01 »

Within the UK (United Kingdom) Rail Forums website I have seen mentions of a 'Project (or Operation) Churchward' - which apparently concerns the wholesale replacement of existing GWR (Great Western Railway) regional rolling stock with a single 'one design fits all' train - but interweb searches produce no other references.





Single manufacturer with a 30 years maintain and support contract is the approach DfT» (Department for Transport - about) have been taking
Logged

"The real source of danger, and the only one which there is any hope of removing, is in a complication of imperfections in a great number of the mechanical parts of the system"
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10752


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2023, 14:43:51 »

Stadler FLIRTs please.

Indeed.  Preferably the tri-mode version.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5877



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2023, 18:49:45 »

Cascade the IETs (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) to regional services, scrapping them is far too expensive.
Build proper inter city trains for the routes presently suffering IETs.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
GBM
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1982


View Profile Email
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2023, 08:57:29 »

Cascade the IETs (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) to regional services, scrapping them is far too expensive.
Build proper inter city trains for the routes presently suffering IETs.
Quoting a member - "oooooooooooooooos gonna pay for it"
Logged
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5675


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2023, 11:49:57 »

Cascade the IETs (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) to regional services, scrapping them is far too expensive.
Build proper inter city trains for the routes presently suffering IETs.
Quoting a member - "oooooooooooooooos gonna pay for it"

Isn’t the point of an investment that you get more money back than you put in? So the question should, perhaps, be - “ooooooooooooooooos gonna pocket the profit”
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
anthony215
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1367


View Profile Email
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2023, 22:50:11 »

A few of you may know GWR (Great Western Railway) been looking for ways to replace the entire dmu fleet as well.as possibly emus in the Thames valley.


GWRS MD has been quite vocal about particularly about getting Bristol TM (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) wired to GWR could use a emu fitted with batteries on the Cardiff to Portsmouth hbr service.

Other UK (United Kingdom) TOCs (Train Operating Company) especially northern and chiltern are struggling to get replacement parts for the BR (British Rail(ways)) dmus.

The DFT (Department for Transport) have now put a tenders out for replacement units including for GWR.

Looks like they are looking at units with 24m carriages  for  GWR hopefully 5 carriage units for the Portsmouth hbr service.

I doubt very much it would be Hitachi that would get the contract. My money is probably on Alstom or STadler
Logged
eightonedee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1992



View Profile
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2023, 07:38:14 »

Presumably "Churchward" after the noted Great Western CME of the opening years of the last century?

He, as one of the great innovative railway engineers would be turning in his grave at the current state of the railway vehicle construction industry in the UK (United Kingdom).
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10752


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2023, 07:57:39 »

Finally some detailed proposals, even if over 5 years away.  Here’s hoping for some or all to be provided by Stadler, and for cascades from other operators to help out in the meantime.

He, as one of the great innovative railway engineers would be turning in his grave at the current state of the railway vehicle construction industry in the UK (United Kingdom).

It’s a lot better than it was ten years ago when there was just Derby.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 19597



View Profile
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2023, 09:31:07 »

Class 75x/23x FLIRTs, Now!

Although why specify 24m per carriage? Surely the main focuses should be the traction package and seating capacity. Stadler FLIRTs of varying lengths and traction types would be, in my opinion, the perfect fleet to order. FLIRTs are already a very flexible, modular design. A 'next gen' update following on from the sucessful Greater Anglia and Transport for Wales fleets would be perfect for the diverse needs of the greater western network. As much commonality as possible would be best for future proofing should there be expansion of electrification. Losing diesel 'power packs' is much better than having to order another new fleet down the *ahem* line.




Edit note: Thread title updated to 'Project Churchward - Future regional fleet for the west' to better describe the topic.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2023, 10:05:52 by JayMac » Logged

Dalmeny Caterham Shiplake Tonbridge Theale Carlisle Petts Wood
Noggin
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 676


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2023, 09:35:50 »

A few of you may know GWR (Great Western Railway) been looking for ways to replace the entire dmu fleet as well.as possibly emus in the Thames valley.

News to me, thanks for the tip.

Yes, the unrefurbished Turbos (Class 165 and 166 trains used on Thames Valley services) are looking very tired these days and the Welsh FLIRTS look very nice.

Any idea on whether that might include closing St Philip's Marsh and building a new depot somewhere else? Seems very quiet these days.

My presumption was/is that an unvoiced objective of the Temple Meads roof project is to have a solid structure to which electrification hardware can be fixed and that once they were reasonably far along, they'd pass the 3D models to electrification designers and propose wiring to Parkway as 'the thin end of the wedge'.

 
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6752


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2023, 21:28:49 »

Some big decisions needed on electrification here. Surely, we can't have yet another stop-gap fleet of anything still needing diesel?
Logged

Now, please!
anthony215
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1367


View Profile Email
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2023, 23:50:20 »

I've heard talk of wires to Bristol TM (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) via both Filton and Bath along with wires to Swansea.
A tri-mode 5 carriage unit be ideal for Cardiff to Portsmouth hbr and even Cardiff to penzance.  Heard other electric islands were being looked at

I heard they were trying to get wires from Swindon to Severn tunnel junction and Westerleigh jct too.
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page