Britain's most troubled rail route has undergone a management shake-up that has seen significant changes at the companies responsible for railway services and for track maintenance on the Great Western line.

First Great Western, the franchise operator that runs trains on one of the UK's oldest routes, and Network Rail, which is in charge of keeping the route in good working order, have put new executives in overall charge of their operations. The changes have not been made public, but FGW and Network Rail have both confirmed them.

FGW attracted unwanted headlines in January when passengers in the Bristol and Bath area staged a fare strike in protest at overcrowding caused by the operator mishandling the introduction of a new timetable and the transfer of a train depot. FirstGroup, FGW's owner, apologised publicly for the errors. Its punctuality figures have also caused misery for customers on key services into London's Paddington station.