Statement of funds available (DfT, 2017)

2017-10-12 Rail infrastructure funding: statement of funds available 2019 to 2024 (Department for Transport)

2017-10-12 Railway investment to boost reliability and punctuality, for major upgrades and for new, faster, more comfortable trains. (Department for Transport)

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date 17 October 2017
source Hitachi Rail Europe
type Press release

Karen Boswell, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail Europe, who was on-board the first service and has posted a video on twitter here: [https://twitter.com/HitachiRailEU/status/919930521345544197]

She has also said:

“Today marked an important milestone for Hitachi and the partners in the Inter City Express programme, as the first new passenger services were brought to the Great Western route. Nine years of hard work has gone into making this vital fleet upgrade happen, including creating a brand new factory, workforce, and establishing modern maintenance facilities from Swansea to London.

“I am, however, very sorry and disappointed that today’s first passenger train from Bristol encountered technical issues, causing a delay to the service and an air conditioning issue which resulted in water entering the carriage rather than being discharged externally. This was not to a standard that Hitachi expects and is known for. We can and will do better. Our depot teams are as a matter of priority investigating the root causes of today’s technical issues, and we will ensure that these are corrected as quickly as possible.

“On a more positive note, the first train from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads and the first train to Swansea both ran smoothly today. I am confident that more passenger benefits will follow as the full fleet of 57 trains comes into service.”

Railhub Archive ::: 2017-10-16 HIT-002