Just as we have struggled in the heat, so have some of GWR’s rolling stock. However work is underway to improve the situation.
The class 165s/166s (turbos) which run between Swindon and Westbury were first introduced in 1991 and over the years have been retrospectively fitted with various forms of air cooling but the gradual rise in summer temperatures has left them increasingly struggling to cope.
While train staff can unlock windows in the passenger sections of the trains when conditions become uncomfortable the same option is not available in the driver’s cab. From a safety point of view a train has to be cancelled if the cab gets too hot.
Now a 12 month programme of works is underway to improve the cooling in the cabs. GWR admits it will not be a complete solution as the equipment will only lower temperatures by around seven degrees. However that is the best that can be achieved with these trains.
In the meantime staff are trying to mitigate things as best they can by lowering blinds and leaving cab windows open when trains are laying over at stations between trips.