New high speed Intercities tracked down
New high speed trains that are more reliable and go faster are already in use in Devon. The first one ran from London Paddington to Paignton on Saturday lunchtime, bringing passengers into Devon on the first weekend of the school holidays.
Operator GWR says the trains are currently being deployed on an ad-hoc basis, primarily for driver training and to iron out any issues. They claim they get better as they run in.
Thirty-six train sets will eventually serve the south west and, although they essentially look the same, there are two versions of what they call the Class 800 engine. The first will run between London Paddington and Torbay. A ballsier model, the 802, will manage routes west of Totnes, which has higher gradients and need a bit more puff, to use a steam analogy.
All 36 should be running by the end of the summer, but between now and then, many of them will be in use, but won't be timetabled. Whether passengers travel on one will depend on operational needs.
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