Great Western Railway (GWR)

On Fish Friday, here’s a catch with a difference… These youngsters reeled in a shoal of litter from Bristol’s waterways and then created some fantastic fish artwork. Here’s the plaice to read a little more: https://lnkd.in/eFYkXSci #FishingforChange

We are saddened to hear that Sir Kenneth Grange has passed away. A design legend, Sir Kenneth created the look of the iconic High Speed Train. We were honoured to name HST locomotive 43002 after him in 2016. He also joined us in 2019 as the last HST train left Paddington. RIP and thank you Sir Kenneth.

Today we are reflecting back to June 2017, when we named Intercity Express Train 800003 after Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II recreated the historic journey from Slough to London Paddington that Queen Victoria had taken in 1842 #GWaRchives

Today, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we welcomed Margot Billinge to London Paddington to greet the GWR train named in honour of her late father, Harry Billinge MBE. IET 802006 was named in Harry’s honour in Penzance in October 2020, as GWR marked 75 years since the end of the Second World War #DDay #DDay80

Today we remember the brave soldiers, including Great Westerner Harry Billinge MBE, who fought and sacrificed their lives on #DDay. Their courage and heroism continues to inspire us 80 years later #DDay80 #100GreatWesterners

We were absolutely buzzing to be officially awarded 'Bee Friendly Business' status by the bee friendly trust on Monday, which was also #WorldBeeDay! We're so proud to have this bee-ootiful award, which you can read more about at https://lnkd.in/ejf-Pqy5

Today is a special day for GWR and the RNLI as together we celebrate 200 years of the institution. We’ll be joined at Paddington by current members of the Penlee Lifeboat to unveil a special commemorative livery on the side of IET 802008, which was named after the lifeboat, Solomon Browne, sadly lost at sea in 1981. The partnership also involves us playing water safety messages at stations, recorded by TV presenter, Steve Backshall. #RNLI200 #RespectTheWater #watersafety #FloatToLive #watersafety

We were honoured to name a train HRH The Princess Royal in recognition of her support for more than 300 charities, organisations and military regiments in the UK and overseas.

Dancers from TAP ATTACK LIMITED tapped on a super-sized pay-as-you-go card yesterday to emphasise the ease of ‘tapping in’ and ‘tapping out’ at even more stations from Bristol to Swindon and the Stroud Valley. Even our People and Transformation Director Ruth Busby OBE took to the stage, joining TapAttack founder Jo Scanlan for an impromptu tap. Read more about the scheme at https://bit.ly/3wixUZX and register for your time-saving smartcard to get the best fares at https://lnkd.in/e2GVc5M2

On Monday, we were joined by the grandchildren of Great Westerner Captain Robert Falcon Scott in dedicating an Intercity Express Train named after the intrepid explorer back in 2018, alongside the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) and legendary explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Scott was hailed a hero for his important biological, geological and zoological findings on polar expeditions. Prof Julian Dowdeswell of SPRI said: “Captain Scott’s two expeditions laid many of the foundations for interdisciplinary science in Antarctica, a legacy that is particularly important in today’s rapidly changing climate. The Institute is delighted that Scott’s achievements continue to be recognised by the naming of a GWR train in his honour.”