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First Great Western |
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Serving South
Wales, the Cotswolds, Avon and the West Country, Great Western Trains is part of the
First Group of companies, and is based in Swindon. It operates high speed trains to some of the most beautiful and historic areas of the British Isles. (Great Western Trains' corporate web pages may be accessed at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) Search WalesRails .......... Message Board |
Preserved: WalesRails: Back to Welcome page |
The high speed
trains - known variously as HSTs or IC (Intercity) 125s - were the flagship of First Great
Western services, but more recently streamlined Adelante units (left) have also been
introduced.
Both are capable of speeds of up to 125mph and have a high level of passenger comfort both
in first class and standard class accommodation. The HSTs are formed of eight
coaches, with a power car - officially a Class 43 locomotive - at each end, and
have undergone a complete refurbishment. Coaches A through E are standard class:
F through H, first class. There is a buffet compartment serving drinks and hot
and cold snacks located between first and standard class accommodation. Certain
trains lay on a more
informal bistro menu.
The power cars are almost 18 metres in length, and weigh about 70tonnes. Many of them are
'named' and have plaques fitted to both sides commemorating places, personalities, or
business, educational or charitable organisations.
The Adelantes are of completely new design. Officially designated Class 180s, they are
five-car sets which can be linked to form longer trains.
FGW has its own depots where the trains are serviced or maintained, the principal
maintenance facility being Laira, which is located at Plymouth, South Devon, while in
Wales, some work is carried out at Landore depot, which can be seen from the right-hand side of
the train shortly before arrival in Swansea.
Monday to Friday, trains to and from London Paddington and Cardiff run at half-hourly
intervals, with an hourly service to Swansea. On Saturdays and Sundays the service is
hourly. Some trains start at/are extended to Carmarthen or Milford Haven. Most trains from Paddington call at Reading, Swindon and Bristol Parkway (some trains
also serve Slough and Didcot) before passing through the Severn Tunnel to enter South
Wales.
FGW also runs trains to Portsmouth and Weymouth via Bristol Temple Meads.
The South Wales stations served are:
Newport
Straddling the River Usk, Newport
was the principal port of the old county of Monmouthshire. The central area contains the
shopping centre, library and museum, cinemas and theatres; and is surrounded by steep
hills. The town was at the centre of the Chartist rebellion of 1839, and there are many
reminders of the uprising. John Frost Square is dedicated to the leader of the rebellion,
and is dominated by Andy Plant's massive sculptural clock called "In the Nick of
Time." On the hour, the 31-ft tall, stainless steel construction emits smoke and
splits asunder with alarming clanks and groans while devils and skeletons appear at
various windows.
One of Newport's more famous literary figures is the tramp-poet W. H. Davies, and there is
a sculpture in the Square based on one of his most famous lines: 'What is this life if
full of care....'
At the top of Stow Hill is St Woolos Cathedral, while down river is one of the unique
features of the town: the recently restored Transporter Bridge (pictured). One of only
three in the world, cars and passengers are taken across the river in a gondola suspended
by cables from a motorised overhead trolley.
Cardiff...
...is the gateway to the coast and Valley areas of south east Wales.
A city since 1905, and the capital of Wales since 1955, Cardiff celebrated
both anniversaries in 2005.
The city stands at the mouth of the
River Taff (part of which was diverted in the mid-nineteenth century to clear a site for the what is now Cardiff
Central railway station). Noted for its Victorian arcades and pedestrianised shopping areas, it
also offers top class facilities for sport, theatre and the cinema.
Cardiff Castle (right) has undergone a three-year £8m refurbishment
programme, which included provision of a new
interpretation and visitor centre. The castle has Roman and Norman connections, but, apart from Roman remains
at the base of the south east walls, the Norman Keep and the 15th century
Western Apartments, what you
see is mostly a Victorian reconstruction.
Nearby, the civic centre is considered among the
finest in Europe, and incorporates the museum, law courts, the former Welsh Office
(now the secretariat of the Welsh Assembly), university
buildings and the City Hall. With a referendum in September 1997 narrowly voting for the
establishment of a Welsh Assembly to govern Wales, the City Hall was one of the venues
under consideration to house the body, but the Assembly - which first sat on June 1 1999 -
was first housed in Crickhowell House in Cardiff Bay but has moved into the
adjacent Senedd (Welsh for Senate) Building (see below).
Behind City Hall is
Alexandra Gardens with its imposing War Memorial commemorating two World Wars and more
recent conflicts.
In the city centre, the other building of great antiquity is St John's Church,
parts of which date from
the thirteenth century.
There are several malls off the pedestrianised shopping area, which also has St David's
Hall - renowned for concerts by top-class orchestras and entertainers - and the
Motorpoint International Arena, the venue for conferences, pop concerts, ice shows, and the like.
St David's Phase Two, a new shopping mall on the southern
side of the city centre, opened on October 22 2009.
The New Theatre
celebrated its centenary a few years ago, and stages plays and other productions, including those
by the internationally-celebrated Welsh National Opera until the WNO moved into
its new home: the Wales Millennium Centre for the Performing Arts (see below)
which opened in November 2004 with a spectacular Gala concert attended by Her
Majesty The Queen.
Close
to the city centre, on the banks of the river, the Millennium Stadium (left) is
the
home of Welsh Rugby. Opened for a Wales v South Africa friendly in June 1999, it took on
an international importance when it staged early rounds of the Rugby World Cup
that October,
and the Final on 6 November of the same year. It is now used to stage Wales' home games in
the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, international football matches, concerts and other
high-profile events. While Wembley Stadium was being developed it was also been the venue of prestigious
football matches, including the Worthington and FA Cup Finals. A very
versatile building, it also stages speedway, monster truck and religious
conventions.
A mile to the south, the Cardiff Bay development has transformed the derelict docklands
area into a leisure, residential and light-industrial complex, while the barrage which
dams the mouths of the Taff and Ely rivers was
brought into operation on November 4 1999 to create a 500-acre freshwater lake.
It is now possible to walk from Cardiff Bay to Penarth over the barrage.
To the north of the city, is Llandaff Cathedral, which has been a place of worship for
more than 1,400 years. Partly destroyed by bombs during World War II, the cathedral was
rebuilt and rededicated in 1958, its nave overarched by the sculpture of Christ in Majesty by
Jacob Epstein.
On the city's western boundary is the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan's, which
recreates the Welsh way of life in authentic buildings from all over Wales. Dismantled
from their original locations and reassembled at St Fagan's - itself a manor house dating
from the Civil War era - they provide a base for many practitioners of old crafts such as
pottery and woodcarving, and also includes a blacksmith's forge.
The Cardiff Bay area has been developed as a waterfront park with leisure, residential
and light-industrial complexes on reclaimed derelict dockland, and is the start of the
Taff Trail which can be followed as far as Brecon, 57 miles away.
The major feature is the Barrage which can be reached by road train from its
stop outside the car
park in Stuart Street. You can also walk across the barrage as far as Penarth.
The Welsh assembly meets in
the Senedd (Welsh for Senate), the new debating chamber which has been built
alongside the Pierhead Building (pictured left, a striking
terracotta edifice that was once the headquarters of the Bute Dock and Railway Company, which opened
the first of the docks in 1839, and was the prime influence behind the Taff Vale Railway. It is now used as the Visitor Centre for the National Assembly.
The Wales Millennium Centre for the
Performing Arts opened in November 2004 with a
spectacular Gala Concert attended by Her Majesty the Queen. It is the home of Welsh
National Opera and seven other performing arts groups including the Urdd, the
Welsh organisation for the youth of Wales. Adjoining is Alun Hoddinot Hall,
named after the late Welsh composer, which
is a base for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Outside the Millennium Centre is Roald Dahl Place - named after the children's writer who was born in Cardiff
suburb of Llandaff - built on the site of the basin of the Bute West Dock, now used
for street theatre and open-air concerts. The steel column with water cascading
down it (at extreme right in the photograph alongside) will be recognised by fans of Torchwood - the spin-off from the
successful BBC Wales television series Dr Who, filmed
largely in Cardiff and the surrounding area - as supposedly the entrance to
Torchwood. The latest series of Torchwood has emigrated to the United
States, though.
A coffee bar and art gallery has been established in the Norwegian Seamen's Church where Roald Dahl was baptised as a child. A short distance away
was 'The Tube' - a
cigar-shaped structure which housed the Cardiff Bay visitors' centre. It was the base for
the Spirit of Cardiff, a powerboat which attempted the fastest circumnavigation
of the world in 2002. The target was almost 25,000 miles in 50 days, calling at 26 different
countries, but a series of misadventures, culminating in a heart attack suffered by one of
the crew, led to the attempt being abandoned, though not before a number of records were
broken,
Tied up permanently at the quay alongside the site of The Tube is the Helwick Lightship, which was
stationed off the Gower Peninsular guarding a treacherous sandbank 50 miles
northwest of Cardiff, but is now used as a Christian Fellowship centre.
A short distance along the quay is a sculpture recognising the role of miners
and the mining industry in creating the wealth which made Cardiff the foremost
coal exporting port in Britain; the foundation of the capital city we see today.
A little farther away,
Techniquest is a unique hands-on science centre which demonstrates scientific principles
and phenomena in colourful and surprising ways, while at Harry Ramsden's restaurant, it
is claimed, are served the best fish and chip meals in the world.
The St David's Hotel was one of the first Five-Star rated establishments in the city.
Mermaid Quay a is modern eating and shopping complex which also overlooks Plas
Roald Dahl (Roald Dahl Place).
Boats and water taxis (pictured left) ply their trade around the bay and
up-river as far as the Castle near the city centre. They will also land you on
the Barrage itself - also reached on foot from near the Norwegian Church - where you can see the massive sluice gates in operation.
Bridgend
A market town, Bridgend gives access to the Vale of Glamorgan, and has a number of
medieval castle ruins in the area. Among these are Coity and Ogmore, the latter close to
stepping stones across the River Ogmore which also gives access to the Glamorgan Coastal
Path. Two miles from Bridgend is the village of Ewenny, with its pottery and Norman
Priory. North of the town are the formerly industrialised valleys of Llynfi, Garw and
Ogmore, while to the west is the traditional seaside resort of Porthcawl. Arriva
Trains Wales run services into the Llynfi Valley serving stations to
Maesteg. There are also connection with the
Vale of Glamorgan line to Barry and Cardiff.
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is dominated by the steel works to the south and the oil refinery to the
north, but beyond the industrialised areas there are many areas of beauty and interest.
Aberavon, nearby, was once a seaside resort, but this function ceased soon after the
closure of the railway from the Rhondda and Afan valleys, on the course of which, the Afan
Country Park has been created. On the Aquadome watersport centre, is based the revival of
the town as a leisure-based resort. Surfers are attracted to the beach area, where cross
currents and straight-off-the-Atlantic breezes sometimes whip up some fair waves.
Three miles east of the town, is fifth-century Margam Abbey, around which has been created
Margam Country Park, which includes a boating lake and a one-acre maze. The abbey houses a
remarkable collection of Celtic and medieval stone crosses.
Neath
Standing
on the River Neath, the town has its origins in the Roman fortress of Nidum. An attractive
market town, here is the ruin of the castle and Neath Abbey which was founded in 1129.
Before the coming of the railways, the port was served by two canals - the Tennant and the
Vale of Neath - the latter having being restored in its upper reaches.
Outside the town are the Aberdulais Falls with its restored tin plate works, and, a little
more distant, Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Throughout the Vale of Neath, there are many
waterfalls and cascades, principal among which are the Melincourt near Resolven
(pictured), Ysgwyd Gwladys (the Lady Fall) and Ysgwyd Einon Gam near Pontneathvaughan.
Also reached by an hour's strenuous walk from Pontneathvaughan is Ysgwyd-yr-eira (the Fall
of Snow), remarkable because it is possible to walk behind the torrent of water from one side
of the valley to the other.
Swansea is approached over the 389-yard steel viaduct at Landore, which replaced an original Brunel structure. On the top of the hill to the right of the train just before this crossing are the jagged stone ruins of Morris Castle. Not really a castle at all, it is the remains of the first tenement building in Britain - and possibly the world - built by John Morris to accommodate workers at his Landore copper works. The nearby town of Morriston is named after him.
Swansea
Wales' second city, Swansea was extensively damaged during World War II. Over the years,
the bomb damaged areas have been replaced with modern shops and houses, a process
completed with redevelopment of defunct dockland to create the Maritime Quarter.
It has a modern shopping centre, with many attractive parks close by.
The Grand Theatre celebrated its centenary in 1997, and has been refurbished to a very
high standard. It was opened by the celebrated Italian soprano Madame Adelina Patti, whose
pavilion stands in Gors Lane.
A barrage across the mouth of the River Tawe, and the conversion of part of the former
dockland area into a picturesque marina, has given Swansea an attractive waterfront
quarter which harks back to its seagoing heritage. On the northern quay of the marina is
the Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum - which will soon become the Welsh Industrial
and Maritime Museum - with extensive displays and artefacts which highlight that
heritage. Close to the Dylan Thomas Theatre is a statue of one of Swansea's most famous
sons: the writer, poet and playwright, most notoriously of 'Under Milk Wood' a wickedly
whimsical day in the life of the fishing village of Llareggub (try spelling the cod-Welsh
name backwards!).
The city's
university is located at Singleton Park, a public area which has a boating lake amongst
its many attractions.
Swansea is the gateway to west Wales, but closer at hand is Mumbles, famed as the site of
the world's first passenger railway, which used steam, diesel, electric - and even sail -
power in its 153-year existence from 1807 until 1960. There were plans to resurrect the
Railway using a revolutionary flywheel driven tram system, but this has been abandoned,
one reason - ironically - being that the original route has been developed as a promenade
and cycleway.
A little further west is the Gower peninsular - the first region in Britain to be
designated an area of outstanding natural beauty - which features sheltered bays and walks
along clifftop paths and onto hills with spectacular views. At the south-western extremity
is the village of Rhosili where, in the church of St Mary, is a memorial to Lt Edgar Evans who
died in 1912 with Sir Robert Falcon Scott on the ill-fated expedition to the South Pole.
Stretching out to sea and accessible at low tide is the rugged promontory of Worm's Head
(pictured right with hang-glider) said to resemble a sea serpent swimming from the shore,
West Wales Services
First Great Western trains also operate a few services into west Wales. For gazetteer
information on these towns, see Arriva Trains Wales' page
PRESERVED RAILWAYS served by FGW Trains
In South Wales, FGW trains can be used to reach the
Barry Island Railway (formerly Vale of Glamorgan Railway Society)
The withdrawal of financial support for the BIR has meant it has had to vacate
its site at Barry. It has moved to join the Garw Valley
Railway Company at Pontycymmer.
The Garw Valley Railway Company has its base at Pontycymmer, and can be reached by alighting
at Bridgend and catching bus services 12 or 14 from the nearby bus station.
The Swansea Vale Railway is another preserved
railway which has failed due to the withdrawal of local authority support.
Nothing remains at Upper Bank or Six Pit, so do not travel to visit.
Copyright © 1996/7/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12 by Deryck Lewis.
All rights reserved.
Page created July 21 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated January 14 2012
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at
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