Electric

A meeting in London today, which meant a trip on the new AT300 Hitachi electric trains that run between Bristol Parkway and Paddington.  They are not able to run at full speed yet, as older rolling stock is also using the line, but there were stretches when it was clear what they will ultimately be capable of.  

The dark green and yellow livery of GWR is definitely better than some of the competitors.  I wonder what Brunel would think of this new machine?  I suspect he would wonder why it had taken so long to introduce ...

On their first day, the very first AT300 from Cardiff to London had some widely reported problems - but I'm pleased to say the one I travelled on was absolutely fine.  

In case you are interested in seeing the inside of a carriage, I've added a fairly boring shot as my extra.  The carriages are functional rather than luxurious, but that's not a problem from my perspective.  I will be interested to see how well some of the finishes stand up to the hard wear that the next 20 years of commuter traffic will inevitably cause.  I have my doubts!

I will not be able to catch one of these things from my local station (Bath Spa) as the original plan to electrify the line between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads has been put on hold (or possibly abandoned) as Rail Track made a complete mess of managing the the project and went 4 times over budget.  Various unkind comments come to mind about Rail Track at this point, which I will wisely refrain from committing to the Internet!