Maintenance work to impact weekend train services between Bristol Parkway and Didcot Parkway
Engineering work to improve the reliability and performance of the railway between Bristol Parkway and Didcot Parkway is to be carried out over a series of weekends in late February and early March.
Network Rail will carry out track renewals and essential maintenance between Didcot Parkway, Swindon and Bristol Parkway on Saturday 29 February, and Sunday 1 March as well as Sunday 8 March.
Trains between London Paddington and Bath/Bristol Temple Meads, and between London Paddington and South Wales, will continue to operate via alternative routes, extending journey times by up to 30 minutes.
A shuttle train service will also run between Bristol Temple Meads and Swindon (calling at Bath Spa and Chippenham), as well as a shuttle service between Cheltenham Spa and Swindon.
Connecting coaches will operate between Reading and Swindon as well as between Didcot Parkway and Swindon.
In addition, on Sunday 8 March, buses will also replace trains between Gloucester, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.
Great Western Railway Project Manager Steve Bale said:
“Thanks to the electrification programme we are now able to operate faster and more frequent services to and from London Paddington.
“This vital track upgrade work will ensure that we can operate more reliably and continue to deliver the performance we know our customers expect.”
For more information, visit GWR.com/Upgrade.
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.