Engineering work means rail services unable to stop at Bristol Parkway
Rail services will be unable to call at Bristol Parkway for three weeks from mid-September due to continuing work to electrify the railway between Bristol and London.
With Network Rail extending overhead wires from Swindon through to Patchway in preparation for trains to run under electric power, trains will be unable to call at Bristol Parkway from Saturday 15 September until the start of service on Sunday 7 October.
Long distance services between London Paddington and South Wales will be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads (not calling at) and will call at Patchway adding up to 30 minutes to journey times.
Local stopping services between Gloucester and Bristol will operate from Bristol Temple Meads towards Filton Abbey Wood, and between Yate and Gloucester.
A replacement bus service will operate between intermediate stations not served by trains.
GWR Operations Director Rob Mullen said:
“This piece of work is an essential part to the electrification programme, which will enable us to offer the full benefits new Intercity Express Trains can bring.
“The trains are already operating on routes between London and South Wales and London and Bristol Temple Meads; providing thousands more seats every day than the trains they are replacing.
“This electrification works, once complete, will enable us the opportunity to deliver a new timetable, and with it more frequent and quicker services.”
Additional work to double the number of tracks available between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads will also be taking place on 13 and 14 October, and further works in the Bristol Parkway area will also take place overnight during the week of Monday 15 until Friday 19 October.
Network Rail’s Major Programmes Director David Buisson said:
“The upgrade in the Bristol Parkway area is vital as we continue to deliver electrification and a more reliable railway for our passengers.
“I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the residents living near the railway and to our passengers for their patience and understanding during this period when we have undertaken modernisation work which forms part of our Railway Upgrade Plan – it is truly appreciated”.
For further information visit our website at GWR.com/Bristol2018.
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.