ALL INTERCITY trains through Swindon have been cancelled today for what Great Western Railway has described as "precautionary checks" on the services. 

The move follows reports last month that a crack was found on a vehicle at Hitachi's North Pole depot in west London, where GWR's new Intercity trains undergo regular checks.

The cancellation is likely to cause widespread disruption, with all fast trains to and from London Paddington along the west coast main line cancelled. Local services continue to run.

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In April, an inspection on a Class 800 Hitachi carriage found a crack of "substantial depth".

According to a Railway Gazette report of a Rail Safety and Standards Board probe, further cracks were found in the yaw damper bolster - equipment designed to prevent the train from swaying - in eight out of 93 trains in the fleet. 

The new Hitachi trains are also in operation on the East Coast mainline, where LNER has also cancelled a number of services today.