RAIL LINES into London have been disrupted this week after Great Western Railway (GWR) pulled its fleet from action.
The railway company found hairline cracks on its high-speeds trains that travel into the capital.
The issue was discovered aboard the new Hitachi Class 800 trains, which were taken out of service on Friday.
GWR advised passengers not to use the London Paddington route, as rail replacement services are “extremely limited”.
Disruption is affecting services to Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Penzance, Oxford, Eversham, Worcester, Great Lamvern, Hereford, Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa.
On Monday, Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East spoke to rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris about the issue.
“He confirmed that the trains were being checked due to an issue with metal fatigue,” the MP said. “I am chasing the Government and I want to see them act swiftly to provide assurance to passengers and businesses that rely on the rail network, that things will be back to normal as soon as possible.”
Although no longer part of the shadow transport team, Mr Rodda said the need for reliable alternatives to driving is important to him.
He said it would be more reassuring if the faults were found to be “not safety critical”, but at the moment, it could go either way.
Hitachi told The Observer the problem on its trains, which were commissioned by the government for GWR and the East Coast LNER services for £5.7 billion, was still under investigation.
The cracks were found in the “lifting points” under the carriage. It comes after cracks were discovered in brackets linked to the suspension in GWR trains in recent weeks.
Mr Heaton-Harris, said routine checks had identified the issue.
“Safety is always our absolute priority, so these trains have been taken off the network to undergo full and rigorous checks,” he told The Observer.
“Hitachi are working to complete these strict precautionary checks. Trains will be returned to service as quickly as possible once they are fully approved as safe by the manufacturer.
“While some trains are starting to be reintroduced, disruption is likely for a prolonged period, particularly on GWR.”
The minister has called on the industry to carry out a comprehensive review to resolve the issue.
For more information about rail refunds, visit: gwr.com
