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Great Western Main Line
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===Privatisation era=== As part of the [[privatisation of British Rail]], the Great Western [[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]] franchise was awarded by the [[Director of Passenger Rail Franchising]] to [[Great Western Holdings]] in December 1995, and it began operations on 4 February 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1997/sep/20/alexbellos |title=The passenger train |last1 = Bellos |first1 = Alex |date = 20 September 1997 |work = The Guardian |location = London, UK |access-date=4 September 2020 |language = en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-080.pdf |title = Railway Organisations Research Paper 99/80 |publisher = House of Commons Library |date=20 September 1999 |language = en-GB}}</ref> Via multiple contract extensions, this operator, which currently trades as [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] has been the primary operator of passenger services on the GWML for multiple decades.<ref>{{cite press release |url = https://www.gov.uk/government/news/critical-rail-services-protected-in-new-deals-for-gwr-and-southeastern |title = Critical rail services protected in new GWR and Southeastern |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 30 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200401051953/https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/firstgroup-says-new-great-western-contract-has-appropriate-balance-of-risk-and-reward/56134.article |archive-date = 1 April 2020 |url = https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/firstgroup-says-new-great-western-contract-has-appropriate-balance-of-risk-and-reward/56134.article |title = FirstGroup says new Great Western contract has appropriate balance of risk and reward |magazine = Railway Gazette International |location = London, UK |date = 30 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1122644/first-greater-western-ltd-2022-nrc.pdf |title = First Greater Western Limited 2022 national rail contract |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 14 June 2022 |access-date = 5 March 2023}}</ref> In August 2008, it was announced that a number of speed limits on the relief lines between Reading and London had been raised, so that 86% of the line could be used at {{cvt|90|mph}}.<ref name="First Great Western Customer Panel">{{cite web |url = http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/Customer%20panel/East%20Customer%20Panel%209.10.08%20minutes%20-%20WEBSITE.pdf |title = First Great Western Customer Panel |access-date = 24 November 2008 |publisher = [[First Great Western]] |archive-date = 11 October 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101011164756/http://firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/Customer%20panel/East%20Customer%20Panel%209.10.08%20minutes%20-%20WEBSITE.pdf |url-status = dead |language = en-GB}}</ref> By 2019, the partial electrification of the GWML permitted the replacement of InterCity 125 and {{brc|180}} sets by new [[Intercity Express Programme|Hitachi Super Express]] high speed trains β the {{brc|800}} and {{brc|802}}. The procurement programme for these trains, known as the [[Intercity Express Programme]], was highly impacted by the GWML's electrification scheme, particularly the abandonment of diesel-only trains in favour of bi-mode trains, which were elongated and outfitted with a second transformer to maximise their use of the electrified sections.{{sfn|Foster|2010|pp=14-15|loc = The IEP}}{{sfn|Foster|2010a|pp=26β27}} The electrification of the line also allowed the introduction of other rolling stock, such as {{brc|387}} [[electric multiple units]], to conduct shorter-distance services.<ref>{{Cite web |date = 24 March 2015 |title = Derby to build new trains for First Great Western |url = http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2015/03/24-derby-to-build-new-trains.html |access-date = 2 January 2017 |website = railnews.co.uk |archive-date = 16 July 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210716084228/https://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2015/03/24-derby-to-build-new-trains.html |url-status = live |language = en-GB}}</ref>
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