Editing Thames Trains

{{Short description|Former train operating company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{distinguish|Thameslink (train operating company 1997–2006)|Govia Thameslink Railway}}
{{Infobox rail company
| logo           = ThamesTrainsLogo.svg
| name           = Thames Trains
| image          = Evesham railway station - geograph.org.uk - 40286.jpg
| image_size     = 300px
| caption        = [[British Rail Class 166|Class 166 ''Networker Turbo'']] at {{stnlnk|Evesham}} in 2003
| franchise      = Thames Trains<br>13 October 1996 – 31 March 2004
| regions        = [[Greater London]], [[Southeast England]]
| secregions     = [[East Midlands]], [[Southwest England]], [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] 
| fleet          = 57 (March 2004)
| stations       = 95
| stationsop     = 
| routekm        = 
| abbr           = TT
| parent_company = [[Go-Ahead Group]]
| website        = [https://web.archive.org/web/20040101002843/http://www.thamestrains.co.uk/ www.thamestrains.co.uk]
| linelength     = 
| tracklength    = 
| notrack        = 
| gauge          =
| oldgauge       = 
| el             = 
| speed          = 
| elevation      = 
| map            = 
| successor      = [[First Great Western Link]]
}}
'''Thames Trains''' was a [[train operating company]] in the United Kingdom owned by [[Go-Ahead Group]], which operated the Thames Trains [[passenger rail franchising in Great Britain|franchise]] from October 1996 until March 2004.

==History==
The Thames Trains franchise was awarded by the [[Director of Passenger Rail Franchising]] to Victory Rail Holdings,<ref>[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03147927 Companies House extract company no 3147927] Victory Rail Holdings Limited</ref> a company owned by [[Go-Ahead Group|Go-Ahead]] (65%) and some ex-[[British Rail]] managers (35%), with operations commencing on 13 October 1996.<ref>[http://www.go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1997pres/ar1997.pdf Go-Ahead annual report 1997] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123165216/http://go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1997pres/ar1997.pdf |date=23 November 2012 }} Go-Ahead Group plc 28 June 1997</ref> Go-Ahead bought the remaining shares it did not own in June 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Go-Ahead Group buy out Thames Trains |magazine= [[Today's Railways UK|Entrain]] |issue=29 |date= 29 May 1998 |page=8}}</ref><ref>[http://www.go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1998pres/ar1998.pdf Go-Ahead annual report 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123170200/http://go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1998pres/ar1998.pdf |date=23 November 2012 }} Go-Ahead Group plc 27 June 1998</ref>

The [[Ladbroke Grove rail crash]] of 5 October 1999 involved a Thames Trains [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]], which had [[Signal passed at danger|failed to stop at a red signal]]. Thames Trains was fined £2 million for violations of health and safety law in connection with the incident, and was also ordered to pay £75,000 in costs.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=2004-04-05 |title=Thames Trains fined £2m for Paddington crash |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/05/transport.ladbrokegrove |access-date= |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Services==
Thames Trains ran services along the [[Great Western Main Line]] from [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to [[Didcot Parkway railway station|Didcot]] with services continuing north to [[Oxford railway station|Oxford]], [[Bicester Town railway station|Bicester Town]], [[Hereford railway station|Hereford]] and [[Stratford-upon-Avon railway station|Stratford-upon-Avon]]. It also operated services on the [[Greenford branch line|Greenford]], [[Slough to Windsor & Eton Line|Windsor & Eton Central]], [[Marlow branch line|Marlow]], [[Henley branch line|Henley]] and [[Bedwyn railway station|Bedwyn]] lines and on the [[Reading to Basingstoke Line|Reading to Basingstoke]] and [[North Downs Line|North Downs]] lines.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031206025532/http://www.thamestrains.co.uk/route_information/route_information.shtml Route Information] Thames Trains</ref>

In 1998 a service from Oxford to [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Bristol]] was introduced in partnership with [[First Great Western]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= New Oxford to Bristol service |magazine= [[Rail Express]] |issue=29 March 1998|page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= First direct Oxford-Bristol service starts |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue=336 |date= 15 July 1998 |page=18}}</ref> This was withdrawn in 2003 to relieve congestion, at the request of the [[Strategic Rail Authority]].

==Rolling stock==
[[File:Oxford Thames Turbo 166 class 2000.png|thumb|right|175px|A [[British Rail Class 166|Class 166]] Networker Turbo unit at [[Oxford railway station|Oxford]].]]
[[File:Thames Turbo Stratford upon Avon 2002.png|thumb|right|175px|A Class 166 at [[Stratford-upon-Avon railway station|Stratford-upon-Avon]] in 2002.]]
[[File:Thames-Turbo interior shots.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Pictures of various Thames Trains' Networker Turbos [[Interior design|interiors]] and a [[Cab (locomotive)|cab]] shot are from 2000 to 2004 are of the following parts - (clockwise, from top left) 1st class, the driver's cab, 2nd class Class 166 seats and 2nd class [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]] seats.]]

Thames Trains inherited a fleet of near-new [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]] and [[British Rail Class 166|Class 166]] [[diesel multiple unit]]s from British Rail. Because the paintwork was still under warranty, the existing [[Network SouthEast]] livery was retained with only a Thames Trains logo added.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= New livery logo for Thames Trains revealed |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue=317 |date= 5 November 1997 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= New image for Thames Trains |magazine= [[Rail Express]] |issue=9 December 1997 |page=8}}</ref> Upon the warranty expiring, a new livery of white, blue and green was introduced in 2000.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Thames Trains unveils a new livery for its Turbos |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue=390 |date= 23 August 2000|page=15}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Fleet at end of franchise
|-
! rowspan="2" |Class
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Type
! colspan="2" |Top speed
! rowspan="2" |Number
! rowspan="2" |Built
|-
!mph
!km/h
|-
|[[British Rail Class 165|Class 165 ''Networker Turbo'']]
|[[File:Reading Thames Turbo 165 class 2002.png|100px]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Diesel multiple unit|DMU]]
| rowspan="2" |90
| rowspan="2" |145
|36
|1990–1992
|-
|[[British Rail Class 166|Class 166 ''Networker Turbo'']]
|[[File:Evesham railway station - geograph.org.uk - 40286.jpg|100px]]
|21
|1992–1993
|}

==Depot==
Thames Trains' fleet was maintained at [[Reading TMD]].

==Demise==
In April 2003 the [[Strategic Rail Authority]] invited [[FirstGroup]] and [[Go-Ahead Group|Go-Ahead]] to bid for a two-year franchise that would coincide with the end date of the [[First Great Western]] franchise, after which both would become part of the [[Greater Western franchise]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180921225924/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/go-ahead-facing-thames-tussle-7280512.html Go-Ahead facing Thames tussle] ''[[Evening Standard]]'' 10 April 2003</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= SRA invites First Group to bid for Thames extension |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue=460 |date= 30 April 2003|page=11}}</ref> In November 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the new franchise to First with the services operated by Thames Trains transferring to [[First Great Western Link]] on 1 April 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/20031104_preferred_bidder_announced_for_thames_franchise.tt2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031202235927/http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/20031104_preferred_bidder_announced_for_thames_franchise.tt2 |archive-date=2 December 2003 |title=Preferred Bidder Announced for New Thames Trains Franchise |publisher=Sra.gov.uk |date=2 December 2003 |access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Go-Ahead loses Thames Trains as SRA hands franchise to First |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue=474 |date= 12 November 2003|page=26}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040101002843/http://www.thamestrains.co.uk/ Company website]

{{s-start}} 
{{s-bef|before=[[Network SouthEast]]<br><small>As part of [[British Rail]]</small>}} 
{{s-ttl|title=Operator of Thames franchise 
|years=1996–2004}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[First Great Western Link]]}} 
{{s-end}}

{{UK TOCs}}
{{Go-Ahead}}

[[Category:Defunct train operating companies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Go-Ahead Group companies]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:Railway companies disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:Railway operators in London]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2004 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 2004]]