Supply of Freight Operating Company services to Great Western Rail for Passenger Diversions, Depot Strategy and Test Trains

Descriptions

First Greater Western Railway, trading as Great Western Railway (GWR), is issuing a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Notice to obtain market feedback in relation to an intended services for the provision of Freight Operating Company (FOC) Drivers, Person in Charge (PIC) and Shunters to support GWR in delivering passenger mitigations during planned perturbation.

HS2 Possessions

GWRs strategy during the construction of Old Oak Common (OOC) is to provide an alternative London terminus for its customers for any All-Line Block (ALB) greater than 12 hours and provide the same level of customer experience as that of London Paddington (PAD). For any possession that is greater than 12 hrs., GWR will implement one of its three diversionary routes, to ensure a London terminus is retained for GWR customers.

With limited to no access to London North Pole (LNP) GWRs principal engineering depot via the Great Western Main Line (GWML) during OOC possessions poses a significant risk to GWR. GWR has created a Depot Strategy that allows a limited number of services on/off LNP via the West London Line (WLL) entrance/exit. Additionally, and a series of mitigations across the GWR network. During Christmas 2024 High Speed Two (HS2) possession the amount of displaced rolling stock equated to 5kms.

GWR requires a FOC to provide route conducting services and where applicable driving and PIC services to deliver for its customers and to retain a high-speed service.

Control Period Possessions

Like HS2, there are other planned Network Rail (NR) possessions between Reading (RDG) and PAD, preventing access to PAD and LNP.

There are also other possessions on the GWR network which cuts off GWR engineering depots to the rest of the network, requiring mitigations to ensure we can maintain our fleet to deliver for our customers.

Scope

To have a pool of trained Drivers and PICs to deliver GWR passenger diversions and GWR Depot Strategy when required. There will be a requirement to maintain competency, for Drivers and PICs on all routes, traction and locations. A variation will then be issued for each possession where there is a requirement for Depot Strategy (only applicable locations) and/or passenger diversions and for what duration.

Provision of a dedicated FOC Operations Specialist to work with GWR Operations Standards department.

Test Trains

A FOC operator to provide test trains when required for GWR, for Depot Strategy locations, diversionary routes and other requirements as necessary to ensure GWRs plans are tested, operationally valid to deliver mitigations when required.

Resource required - FOC Traincrew Driver and Guard (where necessary) and PICs.

Off network Method of Work will be produced by the FOC and agreed by GWR ahead of any test trains being scheduled.