Attention London Marathon runners - Disruption to rail services between Reading and London Paddington Sunday 23 April

Passengers travelling on services between Reading and London Paddington on the morning of the London Marathon, Sunday 23 April, should check before they travel and plan their journeys to start after 0900 where possible.

Network Rail will undertake vital electrification work between Reading and Hayes & Harlington. Great Western Railway will operate bus replacement services between Reading and London Paddington until 0900. Where possible customers are advised to travel after 0900 or check before they travel and use the alternative routes provided. Passengers with tickets for Sunday morning will be able to travel on any service Sunday afternoon/evening.

Travelling to the London Marathon?

Buses getting Marathon runners into London Paddington by 08:00 depart:

• Reading at 06:20 and 06:50
• Slough at 06:40 and 07:10
• Maidenhead at 06:30 and 07:00

Travelling between Reading and London Paddington?

• A bus replacement service will operate between Reading and London Paddington
• Trains will continue to run between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington

Sunday’s works will see Network Rail carry out key testing on a 12 mile section of track west of London between Stockley Bridge Junction and Maidenhead. This section has recently had the Overhead Line Equipment installed for electrification and a second stage of testing will take place on 22 and 23 April. The electrification is critical for GWR to introduce new electric services between Maidenhead and London Paddington in May 2017 and for new Crossrail Elizabeth line services in 2018.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:

“The Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK.  We have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much needed additional capacity and more comfortable, quieter journeys.

“We started to run half hourly new electric trains in January, delivering over 10,000 more seats a day between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington.  We look forward to being able to extend these services beyond Hayes to

Maidenhead this coming May as Network Rail continues its work to upgrade the railway.”

Matthew Steele, Crossrail programme Director for Network Rail, said:

“I’d like to thank passengers for their ongoing patience whilst we continue with this essential weekend testing as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

“Passengers between Maidenhead and Paddington will see immediate benefits with the introduction of GWR’s brand new electric train services next month, with the provision of new electric trains on this busy route each day.”

Alongside electrification of the Great West mainline, GWR’s new class 387 Electrostar and new Intercity Express Trains, Crossrail forms part of the biggest upgrade to the UK’s rail network and the Great Western mainline in a generation, providing thousands of additional seats and more frequent services each day in London and the Thames Valley.

For more information on GWR’s new trains please click here.

Notes to editors

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England.

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.