Western route
Our Region
Our Wales & Western region includes more than 2,700 miles of railway with a 5,500-strong workforce. We serve the communities and businesses of Wales, the Thames Valley, West of England, and the South West Peninsula.
We transport over 120 million passengers each year to key employment hubs including London, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, as well as connecting business and leisure travellers to London Heathrow, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, and London Gatwick airports. We support leisure and tourism in all of these areas, and support critical freight services, moving half a million tonnes every week.
We’re committed to putting passengers first to provide a safe, reliable, and high-performing railway every day. Over the last decade we’ve been modernising our region, meaning there are more seats, more services, and faster journeys than ever before.
Our Route
Our Western route stretches from London Paddington to Penzance, through Bristol, and up to the boundaries with Wales, the Cotswolds, and Hampshire. We operate, maintain, and are renewing more than 2,000 miles of railway, including the historic Great Western Main Line, conceived by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Following a 10 year, multi-billion pound upgrade programme, we now operate electric services between the west of England and London for the first time. We have exciting plans to continue modernising the railway for the benefit of passengers and freight in every area we represent.
Key Station
We own and operate London Paddington station, the second busiest station in the UK. Almost 60 million passengers used this station last year!
Our projects
Mid Cornwall Metro Project
Working with delivery partners GWR, we’re bringing a new Mid Cornwall Metro coast to coast rail service. We’re creating a sustainable transport corridor through central Cornwall by improving the current links between four of Cornwall’s largest towns; Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn.
The project will be a catalyst for economic growth and local regeneration around the stations, bringing more frequent services with an hourly direct train service connecting Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn, and Falmouth. The project also includes a new platform at Newquay station, level crossing upgrades, reduced journey times, and ticket digitalisation.
South West Rail Resilience Programme
We’re making the line between Dawlish and Teignmouth more resilient. The railway is a vital artery connecting communities, businesses, and visitors in 50 towns and cities in the South West with the rest of the UK. The line was severely damaged in 2014 due to heavy storms, closing the railway for eight weeks.
The South West Rail Resilience Programme has seen us carry out major works to protect our tracks from weather-related damage between Exeter and Newton Abbott. These works include building an £80m sea wall at Dawlish, and an extended rockfall shelter, protecting the coastal railway.
Improvements on this line
As part of our commitment to improving passenger experience on our railway, we’re making significant upgrades and building a brighter future for Bristol’s railway. These upgrades include building fully accessible new stations in Ashley Down and Portway, replacing tracks, crossings, and points, increasing local train services in the region, and transforming Bristol Temple Meads Station.
Roles on this route
No roles are available on this route at this time. Register your interest to be notified when we open new roles.