Gwr looks to new trains to replace ageing fleet

The Class 50 Alliance main line-registered 50007 Hercules and 50049 Defiance were charged with operating UK Railtours’ ‘Manchester Christmas Markets’ charter from London Euston on December 9, which also featured a mini-tour from Manchester to Preston and back for passengers not visiting the markets. In driving rain and strong winds, 50049 heads through Salford Central station working 1Z52, the 16.24 Preston to London Euston return leg of the charter. Tom McAtee

GREAT WESTERN Railway managing director Mark Hopwood has said there is an aspiration for new trains to replace the Sprinter fleet used by the operator.

Speaking to Railways Illustrated’s sister title, Rail Express, on November 21, he highlighted the age of “quite a lot” of GWR’s fleet. He said: “The 150s are 38 years old now and they are going to get to their 40th birthday and beyond; Turbos – most of them are 32 years old; the 158s are a bit older. We want to have a programme in place to bring some new trains into the business and we are working on that.

“Our aspiration is that it’s a fleet of new trains. We want to be able to use battery power, where that works and where it’s capable of doing what we need, but also recognising that if we could get some small bits of additional electrification, that would help as well.”

Electrification would be, he sugg