Frustrated Great Western Railway passengers say they do not want much. “We simply want trains that we know are going to run on time. But we don’t get that. I reckon I’m delayed 50% of the time. It’s a painful experience, soul-destroying,” said commuter Adrian Beeby, who travels three times a week between Wiltshire and London.

Their hope was that things would change this week with the launch of the GWR Intercity Express. But its arrival has been a PR disaster for GWR and the makers of the new train, Hitachi.

It was not great for the government either, which heralded the first glimpse of the £5.7bn fleet as a demonstration that it was putting passengers at the heart of its railways policy.

With the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, onboard, the first of the Hitachi Class 800 trains left Bristol 25 minutes late and some of those ergonomic seats had to be sectioned off after an air-conditioning unit sprang a leak, exacerbating an overcrowding problem.

The train, which operates on both diesel and electric power, then halted for a while in Buckinghamshire, suspiciously close to where the overhead electricity runs out. It arrived in London 41 minutes late. The return trip was better, though passengers reported that some doors would not open at Didcot in Oxfordshire.

Craig McCrum, head of sales at a London tech startup, was one of those on the ill-fated train. “There was a lot of laughter onboard but it’s not really funny,” he said.

When parking is taken into account, McCrum spends more than £10,000 a year on getting into London every day. “For that you expect a decent service.”

Tuesday was not much better after a rock fall between Bristol and Bath caused delays and cancellations.

McCrum decided to work from home. “Luckily I have an understanding employer but you see people having a horrible time wondering if they are going to get to work on time.”

The Great Western mainline is, when it works, the gem of the network. Its delights include Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Box Tunnel (the rising sunlight is reputed to shine all the way through it on the great engineer’s birthday), the seaside stretch at Dawlish in Devon and the glorious London to Penzance sleeper train.



But plans to electrify the line have been delayed and partially abandoned. At the moment, the electrified section only runs as far as Maidenhead in Berkshire. By next year it should have been extended as far as Cardiff but the section to Bath and Bristol has been deferred until the next funding period, 2019-24, and plans for electrification to extend further into Wales have been scrapped.

The so-called bi-mode trains have allowed Grayling to brazen out the controversial decision to axe electrification projects, leaving stretches of tracks unwired.

Lianna Etkind of the Campaign for Better Transport accepted that new trains could have teething problems but added: “We’re concerned that the government is ignoring the evidence that electric trains are simply more reliable than diesel trains, as well as the obvious environmental and health benefits of moving away from diesel.”

More details of what caused the “teething problems” on Monday have emerged. Hitachi said the maiden journey of the Class 800 left the depot 25 minutes late because of an “IT router issue”.

That the unscheduled halt in Buckinghamshire was close to where the electricity stops appears to be coincidental. Hitachi said there was a problem there with an air valve.

Overcrowding on the new train – which promised more capacity for passengers – was blamed on the presence of media, including a contingent from Hitachi’s home in Japan, and trainspotters.

“What we found was that there was a lot of interest and enthusiasm that made them busier than usual,” a spokesman said.

Engineers worked on the affected train and it was back in service on Tuesday along with a second Class 800.

Passengers arriving at Chippenham on Tuesday had stories of trauma about GWR journeys – but also some joyful memories.

Solicitor Charlotte Teece described how she once spent the best part of five hours travelling just 14 miles. “That was one to forget,” she said.

Businessman Kevin Snape said he felt he had to always travel first class to London (£139 at peak time) to be sure of getting a seat.

But Jill Green, the wife of retired British Rail employee Paul, said she loved the network.

“I remember seeing the steam trains coming through here when I was a little girl. I used to hide behind my mum thinking it was a great monster. My husband’s in south Wales now chasing after that new train. We love travelling by rail.”