Great Western Railway’s Captain Tom train to make 100 stops for charity challenge

Intercity Express Train 800025 – which bears the name Captain Sir Tom Moore – will make a mammoth 100 stops at stations across the GWR network in just over 40 hours, covering nearly 1,500 miles.

The ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ will start passenger service from London Paddington at 0637 on Friday 30 April, taking in routes to Penzance, Swansea, Hereford and Bristol Temple Meads over the following hours.

GWR Head of Communications Dan Panes said:

“What makes calling at 100 stops in the ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ so unique is the geographical challenge. Normally our Class 800 trains wouldn’t travel down to the South West but we wanted to do our bit to ensure Captain Tom’s legacy lives on and reaches all parts of the GWR network.

“We were delighted to name a train in his honour last April following requests from both colleagues and customers. Now we’re hoping people will enjoy following the progress of the ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ and donate in the name of Captain Tom.”

On 6 April last year, Captain Tom set out round his garden to thank the nation’s NHS heroes. One hundred laps later, he’d raised £38.9 million for the NHS Covid-19 appeal.

His simple message of hope – ‘Tomorrow will be a good day’ – inspired millions around the world and brought comfort and joy to many during the pandemic.

Captain Tom sadly passed away on 2 February this year. Friday 30 April would have been his 101st birthday and to honour him and his achievements, the Captain Tom Foundation is urging everyone, of all ages and abilities, to take part in the Captain Tom 100.

Captain Sir Tom’s daughter and Co-Founder of The Captain Tom Foundation, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said:

“My father would have simply loved the idea of the ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ train making an epic journey as part of this special event. He was very proud to leave behind the growing legacy of his Foundation and would have really enjoyed watching people across the country uniting to have fun and inspire hope with their Captain Tom 100 challenges. It’s going to be a very special few days.”

Find out how you can donate and get involved in the Captain Tom 100 here.

As more people return to rail after the easement of lockdown restrictions, GWR has been working hard to welcome people back on to its services.

This includes:

• A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020
• Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks
• Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning
• 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted
• Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.

The train operator has also provided extra staff at key stations to offer help and guidance; and processes are in place to help customers maintain a safe distance where possible.

GWR is encouraging customers to continue to travel safely. People are reminded to:

• Wear a face covering
• Travel at quieter times where possible
• Wash your hands more regularly
• Buy tickets online, on a smart card or by using the GWR app

Notes to editors

The ‘Captain Tom Centennial’ will call at stations along the following routes:

Friday 30 April
Departure                                                         Arrival                                                 Station Stops
0637 London Paddington                           1141 Penzance                                            18
1215 Penzance                                             1729 London Paddington                          34
1818 London Paddington                           2121 Swansea                                              44

Saturday 1 May
0622 Swansea                                              0912 London Paddington                          53
0950 London Paddington                           1204 Hereford                                             70
1318 Hereford                                             1624 London Paddington                          88
1730 London Paddington                           1902 Bristol Temple Meads                      94
2057 Bristol Temple Meads                       2234 London Paddington                          100

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England.

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.