THE final few Adelante trains operating First Great Western services between London, Oxford and the Cotswolds are expected to be withdrawn within weeks.

FGW is still waiting for a number of InterCity 125 High Speed Trains to be returned from overhaul to complete its expanded HST fleet and allow it to return all 14 Adelantes to their leasing firm, just six years after they entered service.

An FGW spokesman said rumours that a number of the trains would be retained during modifications of radios on HSTs were inaccurate.

He said: "There is a requirement for updating radios on some HSTs. This will be done during routine maintenance and does not require the trains to be especially removed from service outside their maintenance schedule.

"Adelantes are not being retained as a consequence of this."