FIRST Great Western will continue to run trains through Swindon and Wiltshire for the next four years the Government announced yesterday.

In what will be the largest train fleet upgrade in a generation, the company, owned by First Group PLC, will oversee the introduction of new Super Express Trains and increase the number of journeys to London Paddington.

There is also a commitment to invest money to improve stations along the Great Western Line.

Graham Ellis, of the TransWilts community rail partnership, is delighted with the franchise announcement.

He said: “As far as TransWilts is concerned it is great news all round.

“This is fantastic news for the community and provides great continuity.”

A year after launching, the line, which connects Swindon and Westbury, has seen users grow from 18,000 to 183,000. Graham said that is in part due to a successful partnership with First Great Western.

He said: “I was away last week at a nationwide meeting of all the community rail partnerships and a lot of the good things that we were being suggested we already have in place with First. That can only be a good thing for Wiltshire’s rail users.”

The Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington is one of the most expensive and busiest lines in the country. Passenger groups have also welcomed the announcement but have said it is important the users of the line see real benefits so confidence in the rail network can be rebuilt.

Passenger Focus director David Sidebottom said: “Passengers will welcome the stability that this new contract will bring. However, they will want to be assured it will deliver real, timely benefits.

“It is also critical that, given the scale of the works planned for the Great Western network, any disruption is carefully managed to reduce the impact on passengers.

“We know that passengers’ trust in the rail industry can only be boosted by delivering a consistent day-to-day service, honest communication and managing delays well.

"We will be monitoring this with research on passengers’ experience of the works at Reading and Bath this year.”

First Great Western has said the announcement is a landmark deal that will see record investment in the network.

Managing director Mark Hopwood said: “For us, this franchise deal is about changing the way people think about rail.

"The Great Western network is already seeing the biggest investment since Brunel, and this deal has been designed to match that investment and ambition.

“It gives passengers newer trains, faster, more frequent services and importantly, given the growth this franchise has seen in recent years, three million extra seats a year by December 2018.”