Tickets now on sale as iconic London depot opens its doors to the public in celebration of 111 years of engineering excellence
OOC111: LEGENDS OF THE GREAT WESTERN
Tickets for the OOC111: Legends of the Great Western are now on sale, but you had better be quick, as they are expected to sell out quickly.
The open day on Saturday 2 September will see a unique collection of trains and locomotives, both old and new, which make the Great Western ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’. The full line up will be announced soon.
It is 111 years since Old Oak Common opened on 17 March 1906, and the open day will celebrate its contribution to maintaining the Legends of the Great Western.
During it's 111-year history, the depot and its dedicated, highly skilled staff have maintained everything from the Kings and Castles of the steam era, to the diesel-powered Westerns and Warships.
In 1976 the depot was the maintenance hub in the Western region for the newly introduced High Speeds Trains, the iconic trains which changed the face of Intercity travel in the UK.
While the HST fleet still operates today it is soon to be replaced after over 40 years of service by the new Hitachi Intercity Express Train, which will provide another step change in passenger experience when they begin passenger services later this year.
All profits from the day will go to the depot’s chosen charity Place2Be, which provides mental health support for children in schools and whose patron is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.
In May 2016 GWR’s St Philips Marsh depot raised over £20,000 for charity with a celebration of 40 years of the High Speed Train.
Click here to buy your tickets.
Notes to editors
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.