This is the story of First Great Western, the train operating company whose performance rose from being the worst for a long distance operator in the UK to one of the best in a few years. Its passengers felt so disgruntled they even organized a fares strike. The Department for Transport became so disillusioned that it issued a remedial notice plan, the first step to a holder losing its franchise, before a new management team kick-started the franchise back into life. In First Great Western: Gateway to the West, author and renowned railway specialist John Balmforth discovers how this iconic...