The excellent You Tube channel, Green Signals, will be releasing a video of an interview with Mark Hopwood on 27 January at 12 noon. There's a taster on this week's general weekly video (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFnZz3JJH-0, at 32-14) that includes his comments about IETs and their seats and the generator problems on bi-mode units.

 
Luke Farley - in the recent CILT GWR presentation earlier this week - I *think*, mentioned that the seating pads & backs are being redesigned & replaced at some stage in the not to distant future - so it'll be interesting to hear what Mark has to say.

 

He did, and indeed mentioned that change in such a way that it's implied it's ahead of the 10 year refurb that the IETs will need.

 
I have now added this item to the Coffee Shop forum Calendar.  CfN.  [Image from here is not available to guests]

 
Having just sat through the broadcast/video, I'd recommend it to forum members.

There's a defence of IETs and explanation of what seems to be wrong with the bi-mode units, an acknowledgement that the seats are a problem that's "being looked at", an explanation of the problems with the 175s (they had been run down by TfL to the end of the service maintenance cycle, suffered from storage and rely on technology that is now over 20 years old, giving recommissioning problems) as well as a clear indication that actually there is still not much clarity as to how GBR will work.

He also seems to have accepted that battery power rather than extending electrification looks like being the way forward, offering assurance that the technology has come a long way in recent years.

I did though get the impression he was being somewhat guarded over what will happen next, even allowing for the considerable uncertainty that there clearly is. It is clear that he has concerns that some of what he sees as First Group/GWR's achievements may be at risk. 

 
I assume you mean TfW, not TfL?


The DfT/Treasury are still trying to save money/cut budgets. Further service reductions I'm sure are on the cards.

 
Mark as usual being as up front as you would expect of him,an excellent interview by Richard Bowker.

 

I do indeed Chris. The ex-TfL stock (the experimental 230s) are far to long out of Tube service and too modified for any blame to attach to their previous operator!

 
Errrr, you were referring to the 175s at the point you typed TfL....never been anywhere near them.

 
I know Chris- just trying to be clever by showing I know there's ex-TfL stock on GWR too when acknowledging the error you pointed out.....

 

Over the years, I have met Mark Hopwood many times. I have the greatest respect for him as 'a manager'. Two examples from me:

1. When a GWR event was held at Barnstaple, on the return journey, Mark was on his mobile phone to Control, just making sure that our train, and the various connections at Taunton, weren't disrupted (he and I exchanged grins, while he was speaking to them [Image from here is not available to guests] ):

2. On a rather more sombre note, when three of us forum admins went to Milford House in Swindon to discuss the logistics of setting up a meeting room there, to accommodate a 'Meet the manager' online forum event, Mark joined us. The proposed forum discussion didn't involve him personally, but he was clearly aware of our visit. Mark joined us, in that large meeting room - and he shared some 'internal breaking news' information regarding the tragic deaths of two track workers at Margam (3 July 2019). Mark was clearly personally shaken up about it, and he showed a very human side for all those involved in that tragic incident.

CfN. [Image from here is not available to guests]