Martin Hardy

Said the following about GWR Resources Team:

“The Resource Crew Delivery Team based in Swindon have had an extremely challenging year as the Western Route continues to go through its fantastic transformation programme into the world of electrification with the launch of our New Super Express Trains and the cascade of rolling stock across the entire network.

The Team over the past year have work together as a team to deliver a daily train service for our customers alongside the Local Train Crew Departments (Drivers, Guards and Catering) as every colleague has been trained in a new traction so equating to thousands of days of training release across the network many of this through the summer.

This year with the transformation the team have also worked alongside Network Rail and Hitachi UK to deliver drivers for numerous test trains for the network before they enter passenger service on our region.

On the Western Route the team regularly manage some of the biggest events across the country this year the teams have been a part of managing 'The Royal Wedding Trains between Slough and Windsor' 'Cheltenham Races additional services between London and Cheltenham' 'Numerous sporting and music events at Cardiff' 'Boardmasters at Newquay' 'Dawlish Airshow additional Local services throughout Devon Metro' 'Additional services for the Pride Events at Cardiff, Bristol, Weston super Mare, Gloucester and Newquay.'

We have also seen the weather have a major impact in delivery of the train service across GWR as we have managed a service through the worst snow falls in over 30 years which involved a number of stranded trains and Train Crew stranded across the South West and some of our Resource Managers in Hotels in Swindon for days away from family and the Hottest Summer on record this has at times led to numerous amendments to train crew on the day requiring additional calls and interactions with our crews to look after their welfare and get them in the right place for our customers.

The Resource Team have sacrificed personal time to put together the best plans possible with the available Resource and should be extremely proud that they have delivered for our customers on GWR.

This team work 24 hours a day 363 days a year and truly deserve recognition as unsung heroes in the Rail Network as without their dedication over the last 12 months GWR would be in a very different place.“