Thames Trains
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| Franchise(s): | Thames Trains October 1996 - March 2004 |
| Main Region(s): | Thames Valley |
| Other Region(s): | West Country |
| Fleet size: | 62 (Classes 165 and 166) |
| Stations: | Similar number to that of First Great Western Link |
| Parent company: | Go-Ahead Group |
| Web site: | www.thamestrains.co.uk |
Thames Trains was a British railway company franchised (from September 1996, following the privatisation of British Rail, until 31 March 2004) to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport service.
With effect from 1 April 2004, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) transferred the franchise for these services to First Group, who also hold the First Great Western franchise which runs long-distance services from Paddington station. SRA policy is now to have only one company running train services into any one London terminus. This franchise was known as First Great Western Link and ran for two years. The larger Greater Western franchise replaced this, along with the Great Western and Wessex franchises, on 1 April 2006, and is run by First Great Western.
Thames Trains operated the train which was the immediate cause of the Ladbroke Grove rail crash in 1999.
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| Preceded by Network SouthEast As part of British Rail |
Operator of Thames franchise 1996-2004 |
Succeeded by First Great Western Link |
| Defunct train operating companies: | |
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| InterCity: | Anglia Railways - Great Western Trains |
| London & South East: | Connex South Central - Connex South Eastern - First Great Eastern - First Great Western Link South Eastern Trains - Thames Trains - Thameslink - wagn |
| Regional/National: | Arriva Trains Merseyside - Arriva Trains Northern - First North Western - MTL - North Western Trains Northern Spirit - ScotRail - Valley Lines - Wales and Borders - Wales and West - Wessex Trains |
