Great Western Railway Trains at Swindon on February 18th 2023

My 550th video comes from my 4th visit to Swindon on the Great Western Main Line as well as being the junction for the Golden Valley Line via Stroud and also the South Wales Main Line via Bristol Parkway
Featuring services from Great Western Railway including Penzance Diverts and Freight.
On the day of filming due to engineering works in the Newbury area meant the line between Theale and Westbury was closed with Penzance services diverted via Westbury and Bristol Temple Meads respectively.
Swindon opened back in 1842 as Swindon Junction which until 1895 where originally Steam Locomotives would stop for up to 10 minutes in the platforms and was originally a 3 storey station.
There use to be another station called Swindon Town which opened in 1881 by the Midland and South Western Junction Railway however due to declining traffic after World War II it eventually closed to passengers in 1961 before closing completely in 1972 which at the same time the 3 storey station of Swindon was demolished.
At the same time when Swindon Town station closed, Swindon Junction became Swindon
Today there are 4 Platforms at Swindon with Platforms 1 and 3 being for Express trains whilst Platform 2 is a bay platform for terminating services which is only long enough for 3 car trains with Platform 4 dating from 2003.
It's also the junction for the Golden Valley line which diverges here towards Kemble which up until 1888 any South Wales services use to take via Gloucester where it would join up with the Cheptsow to Gloucester via Lyndey although can be used as a diversion route for South Wales services if the Severn Tunnel is closed
Nowadays most services on the Golden Valley Line now go to and from Cheltenham Spa although reversing at Gloucester which since October 2017 are operated by Class 800 and 802 IETs mostly today are 5 car sets although occasionally can be 9 cars.
To access the Golden Valley Line all IETs have to changeover from Electric to Diesel via Platform 3 which the reverse process is followed in the London Direction via Platform 1.
Since 1888 all trains to Cardiff Central and Swansea mostly travel via Bristol Parkway through the Severn Tunnel between Pilning and Severn Tunnel Junction which diverge from the Great Western Main Line at Wooton Bassett Junction.
Trains to Bristol Temple Meads continue on electric power until just before Chippenham which is used by Half Hourly Bristol Temple Meads services which can continue to Weston-super-Mare or Taunton as well as a few trains a day beyond them to Exeter St Davids.
It's also used by Westbury services via Melksham which run every 2 hours operated by Class 158s and Class 165 or Class 166 Turbos which terminate at Swindon either via Platforms 2 or 3
Electrification of the GWML was finally completed in June 2020 which nowadays all IETs to South Wales can now run electric power as far as Cardiff Central before switching to Diesel before continuing on to Swansea and Carmarthen
However due to the damp conditions inside the Severn Tunnel caused by the River Severn the tunnel passes through. To enable electric trains to operate it was found that normal electric wires would shorten out so conductor rails have been fitted in a similar practice to Thameslink and recently opened Elizabeth Line underground section between Paddington and Custom House as well as the Connaught and Woolwich Tunnels.
Since May 2021 Class 387 Electrostars now can operate beyond Didcot Parkway as well as providing the Newbury services now to Bristol Parkway and Cardiff Central
Music used:
JJD - Adventure
Music provided by NCS
Video link:
NoCopyrightSounds
• JJD - Adventure | Glit...
Filmed on Saturday February 18th 2023 on iPhone 14 Pro and edited on iMovie
#swindon #greatwesternrailway #gwr #class800 #class802 #wiltshire #trains #trainspotting #hitachi #class387

[@charliestransportvids]

Nice one

[@explorewithlorenzo9940]

Cool

[@SomersetTrainspotter]

Love this video mate ❤

[@BenJarvistrainsliftsroadtrips]

Nice video 👍

[@melissanewton7462]

It's a nice video. Pity our station isn't as good as the trains. I see they've replaced the tall platform lights for those awful looking basic LED ones. Nothing stylish and the same for name and platform number boards. More shelter would be an asset too. Yet this is where their HQ is. You would think they would be proud of a more decent looking station! I used to do some train spotting there once but it looks too boring now.