Graduate and apprentice recruitment schemes for railway jobs

Many of the larger companies have graduate and apprentice recruitment schemes, which will provide an excellent start for anyone wanting a job in the industry. First Great Western has a dedicated training academy which provides comprehensive training and development for its employees, whether they are graduates or apprentice level. Their courses are recognised by the City & Guilds and the Centre for Rail Skills and will ultimately provide the candidate with national qualifications while they earn and learn. There is also the Leadership Horizons programme, for first line managers, which can lead to a nationally recognised BTEC award in Advanced Leadership.

Network Rail runs a very comprehensive graduate program and has an annual intake of engineers and other graduates on six different schemes including civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, commercial property, finance and general management. The company is looking for graduates who have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree (with accreditation by one of the recognised institutions) in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or a land and property management and of course recognised business qualifications. Network Rail does not normally offer sponsorship but is involved in the ICE Quest Scheme for Civil Engineers. Starting salaries would be around £22k to £25k with an additional one-off £3k bonus when you start.

Transport for London is another company worth considering as they control the London Underground rail system. They have graduate training intakes each September in disciplines such as civil engineering, commercial management, electrical engineering and electronic engineering. It is always best to apply early in the year for graduate training as the places tend to fill up rather quickly. So the best advice is to do your research early and then submit your applications in plenty of time to give yourself the best possible choice of opportunities.

Jobs with UK rail companies

Rail in the UK includes some of the country's largest employers with EWS (English, Welsh and Scottish Railways), the largest freight operator in the UK, employing over 5,000 people and First Great Western, one of the largest passenger companies, employing 4,500.

However, one of the most important companies in rail in the UK has to be Network Rail, responsible for the entire rail network and many of the stations, employing over 32,000 personnel. Network Rail's many responsibilities include the laying and maintenance of track, installing and maintenance of signalling and providing infrastructure improvements.

There are also many smaller companies to produce and supply a range of equipment for the network, who could also be prospective employers for those looking to get into the railway industry.

How to get on the rail industry job ladder

The railway industry is one that requires a variety of skills. To keep the transport network running requires the skills of all types of engineers (transport, mechanical, electrical, civil and specialist railway infrastructure) as well as drivers, operators, IT personnel, business personnel, customer service personnel, station staff, chefs and a whole host of others. The industry is as diverse as it gets and the likelihood would be that an interested candidate could find a position to suit them.

History Of Deutsche Bahn Rail

Deutsche Bahn AG was founded on January 1, 1994 and, unlike its predecessors, is a public limited company. The founding DBAG was seen as the first step of the Bahnreform (administrative railway reform) and should not be confused with the planned privatisation. In 2007 all its shares were held by the Federal Republic of Germany, though privatisation is planned.

The second step of the Bahnreform was carried out in 1999. All rolling track, personnel and real assets were divided among the holding and the five principal subsidiaries of DBAG: DB Reise & Touristik AG (long distance passenger service, later renamed DB Fernverkehr AG), DB Regio AG (regional passenger services, in the course of the reform under charge of the federal states), DB Cargo AG (freight services, later changed to Railion AG), DB Netz AG (operating the railway system), and DB Station & Service AG (operating the stations). This new organisational scheme was not least introduced to implement the European Community directive 91/440/EEC that demands access to railway system free of discrimination.

The group is the largest German railway enterprise and one of the largest transport corporations in the world. About two billion passengers are served each year.

DBAG has taken over the abbreviation and logo DB from the West German state railway Deutsche Bundesbahn, although it has modernised the logo, which is occasionally called "Dürrkeks" (after Heinz Dürr, the first chairman of the DB AG), a play on words meaning "meagre biscuit", referring to its shape and the sans-serif font, especially when compared to the older, more rounded Bundesbahn logo.

Originally DBAG was headquartered in Frankfurt am Main but moved to Potsdamer Platz in central Berlin in 1996, where it is located in a 26-storey office tower designed by Helmut Jahn, at the eastern end of the Sony Center and appropriately named BahnTower. As the lease expires in 2010, DB has announced plans to relocate to Berlin Hauptbahnhof. A move to Hamburg was briefly considered in 2005, but these plans were abandoned after political pressure.

Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG, DBAG or DB) is the German national railway company. It came into existence in 1994 as the successor of the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany. It also gained ownership of former railway assets in West Berlin held by the VdeR.

Yaxham Light Railway

The 2ft gauge Yaxham Light Railway is situated alongside the former GER Yaxham Station on the Dereham to Wymondham Line, on which regular trains are operated by the Mid Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust.

Yaxham Light Railway operates an interesting collection of industrial railway equipment acquired over the years from quarries and other locations throughout the country.

Passenger trains are usually hauled by a variety of vintage diesel locomotives. In addition the YLR owns two steam locomotives, see rolling stock for further details and photographs.

A recent arrival to the railway is the steam locomotive “Kidbrooke” a WG Bagnall 0-4-0ST, owned by Paul Hemnell

Although not normally open to the general public, the YLR can cater for organised parties by prior arrangement, see visiting YLR. Contact Colin for further details.

Interior of Newcastle Railway Station

Essentially, Newcastle Railway Station is made up of two parts. The solid exterior, built in 1863, looks like a Classical temple. Its great stone walls, with heavy columns and arches conceal the curving interior, designed earlier by Dobson and Stephenson in 1848. And it is this, not the exterior that deserves our attention.

This photograph, by Edwin Smith, reveals why. Inside, stone, glass and iron combine to form a majestic sweep. The walls are relatively plain, easy to ignore. Instead, it is the roof structure that astonishes: iron beams arch over the width of the platforms; above a glass clerestory lights the vast space below; and thin struts tie this together. Resting on slender columns, this is a remarkably economic design for its date.

The first of their kind, three of these great, arched sheds were originally built, the proto-type for railway stations in Britain and beyond. Later two more sheds were added, along with more modern facilities, seen here. Signs point to the booking and left luggage offices, plus the ladies room. These, and the mass of people on the platforms, date from an age when the railways still dominated transport, and Newcastle Station was one of its busiest destinations.

Trans-Siberian Railway-4,200-mile journey from Moscow to the Chinese capital of Beijing

Tours including travel by the Transsiberian Railway during several days give a unique chance to see immense Russian spaciousness with grand rivers and huge forests, to enjoy beautiful view of landscapes.
The Transsiberian Railway gives a unique opportunity to visit several countries at a time: Russia, Mongolia, China and Japan, to enjoy their history and cultural heritage.
The Special Interest Travel Department is ready to consider any requests of yours and elaborate an itinerary accordingly. We are waiting for your requests.
Trains
The trains of Transsiberian direction depart mainly from the Yaroslavsky Railway Station (Moscow). Tours along Transsib and other Railways are organized on regular trains (which have fixed departures). Train usually consists of more than ten sleeping cars and a restaurant.
Accommodation

There are usually 2 categories of wagons:

1) 2-class, 4-berth compartment (cat 2/4);
2) 1-class, 2-berth compartment (cat 1/2).
Due to their technical characteristics the 1-class wagons are more comfortable to travel in, than those of 2-class. In the 4-berth compartments - 2 lower and 2 upper berths, in the 2-berth compartments - 2 berths at the same level. There are 2 toilets with a washstand at both ends of a wagon.
Each compartment has only one entrance leading to the wagon corridor. There is extra space to keep luggage under the berths in each compartment. All compartments and corridors on trains have big panorama windows.
Please note, in the train ? 3/4 there is also a 1-class, 4-berth compartment wagon (category 1/4). The compartments are wider than in the 2-class wagons. The first class wagons of this train are equipped with showers (1 shower per 2 compartments).
Meals
Each long distance train usually has a special wagon-restaurant. Three meals a day are served there. A variety of dishes of fine Russian, European and Asian cuisine is available.

Other services

The cost of bedclothes is not included in the price of a ticket and is purchased by client in rubles (about 1,5$ per person), except international trains.
Stops
Please get acquainted with your train schedule as soon as you get on the train.
We ask you to be careful and do not be late for your train anywhere on the route. Stops are usually rather short (from few minutes till half an hour). Please check departure time for each stop with your train staff. During the stops, toilets and showers are closed.
Arrival of a train is a kind of event in small towns. When trains arrive, the platform as already full by tradesmen, aspiring for several minutes of a stop to sell their goods (food of home preparation, handicrafts, souvenirs). We do not recommend buying the alcoholic drinks.

Railways - On the Green Track

Eco-friendly is the buzzword at the National Rail Museum. The verdant landscape provides a perfect foil to the machines that moved India

The Railways are the most environment-friendly transportation system in the country. And the National Rail Museum (NRM) which preserves the rich heritage and the culture of the Indian Railways is doing everything to popularise the theme of green railways. The effort that started last year from June 5 to July 17 as a festival called Van Mahotsav in coordination with Lions Club Delhi Metropolitan has already changed the look of the place.

On World Environment Day, which was celebrated on June 5 last year, a 40-day plantation drive was launched by NRM. Three thousand saplings of different varieties were planted on the museum�s premises. The campaign ended on July 17 with numerous social development activities aimed at the poor and the physically handicapped children organised on that day. Special concessions were also made available to children.

Van Mahotsav not only showcases the contribution of the Railways towards preserving the environment but also highlights the active role played by NRM in promoting an environmentally conscious society through various non-formal education programmes and activities. The agenda focusses on rail travel as energy-efficient and environment-friendly; lays stress on growing more trees and decries the felling of trees; calls for proper arrangement for garbage and sewage disposal, attempts to create awareness about synergy between transport, energy and environment; and tries to inculcate values on protecting and preserving the environment.

Special care has been taken by the authorities to project NRM not only as a tourist landmark that provides amusement through education but build it up as another haven for nature-lovers. It is in this light that environment-friendly steps like planting of trees and maintaining a clean and pollution free ambience for visitors have been accorded prime importance. The trains that are in operation like the joy train and the Mono Rail of Maharaja Patiala are only hauled by steam locomotives. There are lush green trees all around. The fragrance of flowers wafts across the entire area and refreshes visitors as they stare in awe, locomotives and other works of genius spanning over 150 years and glean information about them. The rolling juggernauts are no longer running over iron rails in the heat and dust and spewing fumes of smoke. They stand majestically on the verdant landscape and are proof of days of glory. Now visitors, catalogue in hand, can ramble around the exhibits that dot a large area, sit under a tree and wonder at these bewitching rail beauties that rode majestically in days of yore.

This year the museum authorities have launched another plantation drive starting from World Environment Day. Around 1,000 saplings of 25 varieties appropriate to the area are being planted over 10 acres. Plans are also afoot to organise programmes and activities somewhere around August under Van Mahotsav.

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Seen in 'Things that Go Bump in the Night' and 'Down Among the Dead Men'.

Steam days, engine-driving sessions, rides with Thomas the Tank Engine and other family happenings leave little time to dwell on murder victims left on the line. This nostalgic centre presents one of Britain's largest private railway collections on a 25-acre site, complete with original station platform, buildings and working track. Historic locomotives and coaches are housed in the 19th century Terminus Building, moved here from Oxford. Vast sheds house future exhibits under restoration by willing volunteers.

Detour to Quainton village, where highlights include Quainton Windmill and the award-winning George and Dragon pub.

Conference Venues in Buckinghamshire

If you are searching for a conference venue in Buckinghamshire, look no further. Included within this section is a selection of the finest conference venues throughout the county.
Latimer Conference CentreFrom historic hotel settings offering delegates overnight accommodation to stylish venues for your latest meeting or presentation we can meet your need. We have venues linked to visitor attractions and alongside our main theatres and sporting attractions. We have venues located in rural settings or right in the heart of our main towns.

Operations

A railway can be broken down into two major components. Firstly, there are the items which "move", also referred to as the rolling stock, which include locomotives, passenger carrying vehicles (or coaches), freight carrying vehicles (or goods wagons). Secondly are the "fixed" components, usually referred to as the railway's infrastructure, including the permanent way and ancillary buildings that are necessary for a railway to function.

Rolling stock

A locomotive is the vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. A locomotive has no payload capacity of its own, and its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. Traditionally, locomotives pull trains from the front.
A railroad car is a vehicle used for the haulage of either passengers or freight. Most cars carry a "revenue" load, although "non-revenue" cars exist for the railroad's own use, such as for maintenance-of-way purposes.

Signalling

Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision since they frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop quickly or, in some cases, within the driver's sighting distance.

Most forms of train control involve movement authority being passed from those responsible for each section of a rail network (e.g., a signalman or stationmaster) to the train crew. The set of rules and the physical equipment used to accomplish this control determine what is known as the method of working (UK), method of operation (US) or safeworking (Aus.). Not all methods require the use of signals, and some systems are specific to single track railways. The signalling process is traditionally carried out in a signal box or interlocking tower, a small building that houses the lever frames required for the signalman to operate switches and signal equipment. These are placed at various intervals along the route of a railway, controlling specified sections of track. More recent technological developments have made such operational doctrine superfluous, with the centralization of signalling operations to regional control rooms. This has been facilitated by the increased use of computers, allowing vast sections of track to be monitored from a single location.

Right of way

Railway tracks are laid upon land owned or leased by the railway. Owing to the requirements for large radius turns and modest grades, rails will often be laid in circuitous routes. Public carrier railways are typically granted limited rights of eminent domain (UK:compulsory purchase). In many cases in the 19th century, railways were given additional incentives in the form of grants of public land. Route length and grade requirements can be reduced by the use of alternating earthen cut and fill, bridges, and tunnels, all of which can greatly increase the capital expenditures required to develop a right of way, while significantly reducing operating costs and allowing higher speeds on longer radius curves. In densely urbanized areas such as Manhattan, railways are sometimes laid out in tunnels to minimize the effects on existing properties (see condemnation).

Safety and railway disasters

Trains can travel at very high speed; however, they are heavy, are unable to deviate from the track and require a great distance to stop. Although rail transport is considered one of the safest forms of travel, there are many possibilities for accidents to take place. These can vary from the minor derailment (jumping the track), a head-on collision with another train and collision with an automobile or other vehicle at a level crossing/grade crossing. Level crossing collisions are relatively common in the United States where there are several thousand each year killing about 500 people (the comparable figures in the United Kingdom are 30 collisions and 12 casualties). For information regarding major accidents, see List of rail accidents.

The most important safety measures are railway signalling and gates at level/grade crossings. Train whistles warn of the presence of a train, while trackside signals maintain the distances between trains. In the United Kingdom, vandalism or negligence is thought responsible for about half of rail accidents.[citation needed] Railway lines are zoned or divided into blocks guarded by combinations of block signals, operating rules, and automatic-control devices so that one train, at most, may be in a block at any time.

Compared with road travel, railways remain safe. Annual death rates on roads are over 40,000 in the United States, about 3,000 in the United Kingdom and 900 in Australia, compared with 1,000 rail-related fatalities in the United States,under 20 in the UK and 10 in Australia. (These figures do not account for differences in passenger-miles traveled by mode; see e.g. Transportation safety in the United States.)

History of Iron plate rail and Edge rail and Wrought iron and steel

Iron plate rail

In 1768, the Coalbrookdale Iron Works laid cast iron plates on top of the wooden rails, providing a more durable load-bearing surface. These were later used by Benjamin Outram at his foundry in Ripley, Derbyshire, the first time standardised components were produced. It was these that led to the name "platelayer" for workers on the permanent way. The advantage was that a considerable variation in wheel spacing (gauge) could be accommodated. However, wheels would bind against the upright part of the plate, and mud and stones would accumulate. On the Little Eaton Gangway in 1799, where Outram used passing loops on the single track, moveable plates were provided, called "pointers", which became shortened to "points".

Edge rail

From the late 18th century, iron "edge rails" began to appear. The British civil engineer William Jessop designed smooth iron edge rails, which were used in conjunction with flanged iron wheels, introducing them on a route between Loughborough and Nanpantan, Leicestershire, as an adjunct to the Charnwood Forest Canal, in 1793-4. In 1803, Jessop opened the Surrey Iron Railway in south London, arguably the world's first horse-drawn public railway. Being of cast iron these rails were short, around three feet long, of a "fish-bellied" design. They had a foot at each end by means of which they were fastened to stone blocks in the ground.

Wrought iron and steel

Cast iron is a brittle material and the short lengths meant that they soon became uneven. However, developments in the process of hot rolling iron meant that longer length rails could be produced. In 1805, the first wrought iron rails were produced at Bedlington Ironworks near Durham. The first steel rails were produced by Robert Forester Mushet and laid at Derby station in 1857[8]. Modern railways still use steel rails, but they are typically welded together to form lengths of continuous welded rail; these remove the additional wear and tear on rolling stock caused by the tiny differences in rail surface height at the joint between adjacent rail sections.

History of Stone rails and Wooden rails

Stone rails

The earliest evidence of a railway found thus far was the 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) Diolkos wagonway, which transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece during the 6th century BC. Trucks pushed by slaves ran in grooves in limestone, which provided the track element, preventing the wagons from leaving the intended route. The Diolkos ran for over 1300 years, until 900 AD.[citation needed] The first horse-drawn wagonways also appeared in ancient Greece, with others to be found on Malta and various parts of the Roman Empire, using cut-stone tracks. An example of stone track still exists on Dartmoor, England, where the Haytor Granite Tramway was built in 1820 using grooved granite blocks.

Wooden rails

Railways began reappearing in Europe after the Dark Ages following the collapse of the Roman Empire. The earliest known record of a railway in Europe from this period is a stained-glass window in the Minster of Freiburg im Breisgau dating from around 1350.[5] By 1550, narrow gauge railways operating with wooden rails were common in mines in Europe.[6] The first railways in Great Britain (also known as wagonways) were constructed in the early 17th century, mainly for transporting coal from mines to canal wharfs where it could be transferred to a boat for onward shipment. The earliest recorded examples are the Wollaton Wagonway in Nottinghamshire and the Bourtreehill - Broomlands Wagonway in Irvine, Ayrshire. Other examples can be found in Broseley in Shropshire, where wooden rails and flanged wheels were utilised, as on a modern railway. However, the rails were prone to wear out under the pressure, and had to be replaced regularly.

General Information os rails

Rail transport is an energy-efficient and capital-intensive means of mechanised land transport and is a component of logistics. Along with various engineered components, rails constitute a large part of the permanent way. They provide smooth and hard surfaces on which the wheels of the train can roll with a minimum of friction. As an example, a typical modern wagon can hold up to 125 tons of freight on two four-wheel bogies/trucks (100 tons in UK). The contact area between each wheel and the rail is tiny, a strip no more than a few millimetres wide, which minimizes friction. In addition, the track distributes the weight of the train evenly, allowing significantly greater loads per axle / wheel than in road transport, leading to less wear and tear on the permanent way. This can save energy compared with other forms of transportation, such as road transport, which depends on the friction between rubber tires and the road. Trains also have a small frontal area in relation to the load they are carrying, which cuts down on forward air resistance and thus energy usage, although this does not necessarily reduce the effects of side winds.

Due to these various benefits, rail transport is a major form of public transport in many countries. In Asia, for example, many millions use trains as regular transport in India, China, South Korea and Japan. It is also widespread in European countries. By comparison, intercity rail transport in the United States is relatively scarce outside the Northeast Corridor, although a number of major U.S. cities have heavily-used, local rail-based passenger transport systems or light rail or commuter rail operations.

The vehicles travelling on the rails, collectively known as rolling stock, are arranged in a linked series of vehicles called a train, which can include a locomotive if the vehicles are not individually powered. A locomotive (or "engine") is a powered vehicle used to haul a train of unpowered vehicles. In the USA, individual unpowered vehicles are known generically as cars. These may be passenger carrying or used for freight purposes. For passenger-carrying vehicles, the term carriage or coach is used, while a freight-carrying vehicle is known as a freight car in the United States and a wagon or truck in Great Britain. An individually-powered passenger vehicle is known as a railcar or a power car; when one or more as these are coupled to one or more unpowered trailer cars as an inseparable unit, this is called a railcar set or multiple unit.

Rail transport

Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth in most countries.

Typical railway tracks consist of two parallel rails, normally made of steel, secured to crossbeams, termed sleepers (UK and Australia) or ties (US). The sleepers maintain a constant distance between the two rails; a measurement known as the "gauge" of the track. To maintain the alignment of the track it is either laid on a bed of ballast or else secured to a solid concrete foundation. The whole is referred to as permanent way (UK and Australia usage) or right-of-way (North American usage).

Railway rolling stock, which is fitted with metal wheels, moves with low frictional resistance when compared to road vehicles. On the other hand, locomotives and powered cars normally rely on the point of contact of the wheel with the rail for traction and adhesion (the part of the transmitted axle load that makes the wheel "adhere" to the smooth rail). While this is usually sufficient under normal dry rail conditions, adhesion can be reduced or even lost through the presence of unwanted material on the rail surface, such as moisture, grease, ice, or dead leaves.

Operations

In the early years the GWR was managed by two committees, one in Bristol and one in London. They combined as a single Board of Directors which met in offices at Paddington.

The Board was led by a chairman and supported by a secretary and other "officers". The first Goods Managers were appointed in 1850. From 1867 this position was filled by James Grierson until 1863 when he became the first General Manager. The first Locomotive Superintendent was Daniel Gooch, although from 1915 the title was changed to Chief Mechanical Engineer. In 1864 the post of Superintendent of the Line was created to oversee the running of the trains.

Passenger services

Early trains offered passengers a choice of first- or second-class carriages. In 1840 passengers were also able to be conveyed by the slow goods trains in what became third-class. The 1844 Railway Regulation Act forced the GWR to provide at least one train each day with third-class accommodation at not more than one penny per mile and a speed of at least 12 mph (19 km/h). By 1882, third-class carriages were attached to all trains except for the fastest expresses. Another parliamentary order meant that trains started to include smoking carriages from 1868.

Special "excursion" cheap-day tickets were first issued in May 1849 and season tickets in 1851. Until 1869 most revenue came from second-class passengers but the volume of third-class passengers grew to the extent that second-class facilities were withdrawn in 1912. The Cheap Trains Act 1883 resulted in the provision of workmen's trains at special low fares at certain times of the day.

Many express services were given names. At first these were just used by railwaymen but later appeared in timetables, on headboards carried on the locomotive, and on roofboards above the windows of the carriages. The late-morning Flying Dutchman express between London and Exeter was named after the winning horse of the Derby and St Ledger races in 1849. Although withdrawn at the end of 1867, the name was revived in 1869 – following a request from the Bristol and Exeter Railway – and the train ran through to Plymouth. An afternoon express was instigated on the same route in June 1879 and became known as The Zulu. A third West Country express was introduced in 1890, running to and from Penzance as The Cornishman. A new service, the Cornish Riviera Express ran non-stop between London and Plymouth from 1 July 1904, although it ran only in the summer during 1904 and 1905 before becoming a permanent feature of the timetable in 1906.

The Cheltenham Spa Express received its name in 1923. It was the first train in the world to be scheduled at over 70 mph when, in September 1932, it was speeded-up to cover the 77.25 miles (124.3 km) miles between London and Cheltenham in just 65 minutes. The train was nicknamed the "Cheltenham Flyer" and featured in one of the GWR's Books for boys of all ages.

Other named trains included The Bristolian, running between London and Bristol from 1935, and the Torbay Express, which ran between London and Kingswear. See also Named trains: UK.

Many of these fast expresses detached slip coaches as they passed through stations and junctions without stopping. The first of these was detached from the Flying Dutchman at Bridgwater in 1869. The first sleeping cars were operated between Paddington and Plymouth in 1877. On 1 October 1892 the first corridor train ran from Paddington to Birkenhead and the following year saw the first trains heated by steam that was passed through the train in a pipe from the locomotive. May 1896 saw the introduction of first-class restaurant cars and the service was extended to all classes in 1903. Sleeping cars for third-class passengers were available from 1928.

Self-propelled "steam railmotors" were first used on 12 October 1903 between Stonehouse and Chalford railway stations; within five years 100 had been constructed. They had special steps that could be used at "halts" with lower platforms. The railmotors proved so successful on many routes that they had to be supplemented by trailer cars with driving controls, the first of which entered service at the end of 1904. From the following year a number of small locomotives were fitted so that they could work with these trailers, the combined sets becoming known as "autotrains" and eventually replacing the steam rail motors. Diesel railcars were introduced in 1934. Some of these cars were fully streamlined, some had buffet counters for long-distance services, and others were purely for parcels services

Key locations and Engineering

Key locations

The railway's headquarters were established at Paddington station. Its locomotives and rolling stock were built and maintained at Swindon railway works but a number of other workshops were acquired as it amalgamated with other railways, notably Stafford Road works at Wolverhampton, but also others at locations such as Newton Abbot and Caerphilly. Workshops for signalling equipment were located adjacent to Reading railway station and. In later years, a concrete works was established at Taunton where items ranging from track components to bridges were cast.


Engineering

The Great Western Main Line was designed to be much more straight and level than was usual at the time, and so a number of important structures feature along its length. Working westwards from Paddington, the line crosses the valley of the River Brent on Wharncliffe Viaduct and the River Thames on Maidenhead Railway Bridge, which at the time was the largest span for a brick arch bridge. It then runs through Sonning Cutting before reaching Reading. It also crosses the Thames two more times, on Gatehampton and Moulsford bridges. Between Chippenham and Bath it then passes through Box Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel driven by that time. Several years later the railway opened the even longer Severn Tunnel to carry a new line between England and Wales beneath the River Severn.

Geography

The original Great Western Main Line linked London Paddington station with Temple Meads station in Bristol by way of Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham and Bath. This line was extended westwards through Exeter and Plymouth to reach Penzance, the most westerly railway station in England.

A line from Swindon ran through Gloucester to Cardiff, Swansea to west Wales. This route was later shortened by the opening of the Severn Tunnel. Another route ran northwards from Didcot to Oxford from where two different routes continued to Wolverhampton, one through Birmingham and the other through Worcester. Beyond Wolverhampton the line continued via Shrewsbury to Crewe, Chester and Birkenhead. Operating agreements with other companies also saw GWR trains run to Manchester.

South of the main line were routes from Didcot to Southampton via Newbury, and from Chippenham to Weymouth via Westbury.

There was a network of cross-country routes linking these lines and there were also many smaller branches to places such as Windsor, Basingstoke, Hereford and Salisbury. The Railways Act 1921 added many smaller companies within this area, notably the Cambrian Railways network in mid Wales and several railways in the Cardiff area.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel envisaged the GWR extending from London to New York and built the SS Great Western to carry the railway's passengers across the Atlantic ocean. Traffic soon switched to Liverpool but Great Western ships linked the United Kingdom with Ireland, the Channel Islands and France. The company owned a number of docks such as Fowey, Plymouth Millbay, Weymouth, and Cardiff.

History

The Great Western Railway originated from the desire of Bristol merchants to maintain the position of their city as the second port in the country and the chief one for American trade. The increase in the size of ships and the gradual silting of the River Avon made Liverpool an increasingly attractive port, and with its rail connection with London developing in the 1830s it threatened Bristol's status. The answer for Bristol was, with the co-operation of London interests, to build a line of their own, a railway built to unprecedented standards of excellence to outperform the other lines being constructed to the north-west. and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1835. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed as engineer. This was by far his largest contract to date, and he made two controversial decisions: to use a broad gauge of seven feet (actually 7 ft 0¼ in (2,140 mm) for the track, potentially to allow large wheels outside the bodies of the rolling stock thus providing smoother running at high speeds; and to take a route which passed north of the Marlborough Downs, an area with no significant towns, though it did offer potential connections to Oxford and Gloucester and then to follow the Thames Valley into London. He surveyed the entire length of the route between London and Bristol himself.

G. T. Clark played an important role as an engineer on the project, reputedly taking the management of two divisions of the route including bridges over the River Thames at Upper Basildon and Moulsford, and Paddington Station. Involvement in major earth-moving works seems to have fed Clark's interest in geology and archaeology and he, anonymously, authored two guidebooks on the railway, one was illustrated with lithographs by John Cooke Bourne, the other was a critique of Brunel's methods and the broad gauge.

The initial group of locomotives ordered by Brunel to his own specifications proved unsatisfactory. 20-year-old Daniel Gooch was appointed as Locomotive Superintendent and set to establishing a reliable fleet. He bought two locomotives from Robert Stephenson and Company which proved more successful, and then designed a series of standardised locomotives which, from 1846, could be built at the newly established railway workshops. Brunel and Gooch had chosen to locate these close to the village of Swindon, at the point where the gradual ascent eastwards from London turned into the steeper route towards the Avon. The GWR also championed other technological advances, for instance commissioning the world's first commercial telegraph line. This ran for 13 miles (21 km) from Paddington to West Drayton and came into operation on 9 April 1839.

The first stretch of line, 22.5 miles (36 km) from London Paddington to Maidenhead Bridge station, had opened on 4 June 1838. Once the Maidenhead Railway Bridge was ready, the line was extended to Twyford on 1 July 1839, and then through the deep Sonning Cutting into Reading on 30 March 1840. The next section, from Reading to Steventon crossed the Thames twice but was ready to open for traffic on 1 June 1840 although a further 7.25 miles (12 km) extension moved the end of the line to Faringdon Road from 20 July 1840.

Meanwhile work had also started at the Bristol end of the line, where the 11.5 miles (19 km) opened to Bath on 31 August 1840. On 17 December 1840 the London section of the line was extended to a temporary terminus at Hay Lane, west of Swindon and 80.25 miles (129 km) from Paddington. 31 May 1841 saw the main line extended from Hay Lane to Chippenham, but also the opening of Swindon Junction and the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (C&GWUR) to Cirencester railway station. This was an independent line worked by the GWR, as was the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER), the first section of which from Temple Meads to Bridgwater was opened on 14 June 1841. At this time the GWR main line was still incomplete due to the lengthy Box Tunnel, which was finally ready to receive trains on 30 June 1840, from which time through trains ran the 152 miles (245 km) from Paddington to Bridgwater. In 1846 the GWR took over the running of the Kennet and Avon Canal, which offered a competitive route from London via Reading and Bath to Bristol.

The GWR was closely involved with both the C&GWUR and the B&ER, as it was with several other broad gauge railways. The South Devon Railway (which for a time was operated by the “atmospheric” system of propulsion rather than locomotives) was completed in 1849, extending the broad gauge to Plymouth, from where the Cornwall Railway took it over the Royal Albert Bridge and into Cornwall in 1859, reaching Penzance over the West Cornwall Railway by 1867, although this last stretch of line had been built originally using the 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, or 'narrow gauge' as it was known at the time. The South Wales Railway had opened in 1850 and was connected to the GWR via Brunel's Chepstow Bridge in 1852, and was completed to Neyland railway station in 1856.

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of civil engineering, linking London with the West Country, South West England and South Wales. It was founded in 1833, kept its identity through the 1923 grouping, and became the Western Region of British Railways at nationalisation in 1948.

Known admiringly to some as "God's Wonderful Railway", jocularly to others as the "Great Way Round" (some of its earliest routes were not the most direct). It gained great fame as the "Holiday Line", taking huge numbers of people to resorts in the southwest.

The company's best-known livery was quite distinctive: locomotives were middle chrome green (similar to Brunswick green), above Indian red (later, plain black) frames; the carriages were two-tone "chocolate and cream".

In 1999, in recognition of the railway's historical importance, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport added parts of the GWR to UNESCO's tentative World Heritage Sites list. The nomination is being supported by English Heritage.