First Great Western has launched new trains to operate throughout the north Cotswolds as part of the company’s commitment to deliver extra capacity and to upgrade the quality of services. In November FGW signed a £29 million deal with the Department for Transport to introduce an additional 48 vehicles into our fleet.

Now, five new trains - 25 carriages - that create a fleet of Class 180 trains have been dedicating to North Cotswolds services.

First Great Western 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.”

Replacing the old fleet of 165 turbos, the investment in the five 180s is part of First Great Western’s commitment to provide an additional 4,500 seats across the morning and evening peaks across Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley into and out of London.

The trains are also to be fitted with Wifi by the end of the year, enabling passengers to check emails and browse the internet on Wifi-enabled devices.