Wednesday 17th April 2019

Bumper turnout expected for last High Speed Train Service from Paddington

With large crowds expected to watch the last, regular High Speed Train depart London Paddington, GWR has announced that seats on board the memorable service will be reservation only.

After over 40 years’ in operation on the Great Western network, the High Speed Train is being replaced with bullet-style Intercity Express Trains, and the very last regularly timetable service will be the 18:30 from Paddington to Taunton on Saturday 18 May.

The train is being extended to Exeter St Davids, and with demand to travel on board expected to be very high, the service will be entirely reservation only, and passengers will have to hold a valid seat reservation to be able to board.

Those looking to travel on the service should purchase a Paddington to Exeter off peak single (valid on any service) and contact our customer service team (03457 000 125) to make a seat reservation on the 18:30.

An additional 18:32 Intercity Express Train is also being provided for those who do not wish to be on the last regularly timetabled High Speed Train.

GWR Managing Director, Mark Hopwood said:

“The High Speed Train has served the Western region for nearly 43 years, making a major impact on Intercity travel not only here in the west but across the country.”

“Today marks a major milestone in the transformation of the Great Western Railway, with the completion of our Intercity Express Train rollout, prior to timetable changes tomorrow, and again in December which will see us deliver more seats, and more frequent and quicker journeys as we benefit from the modernisation of our network.”

Those opting to travel to Paddington to record the event will be able to do so and special designated areas are being set aside for enthusiasts to be able to photograph and film safely.

In addition to the 18:30 service, the 18:03 departure to Plymouth, the 18:15 departure to Cheltenham Spa and the 18:22 departure to Hereford are also due to be formed of High Speed Trains, subject to operational requirements, providing a unique, farewell line-up at Paddington.

The HST will make a return to Paddington for a special charity charter tour on 1 June which will be raising money for First Group’s chosen charity, Action for Children. Tickets for this special charter are available here.

Notes to editors

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England.

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.