More railway modernisation work in Bristol this November
Network Rail will continue to modernise the railway in Bristol this November, with upgrade work affecting rail services for three weekends.
The work includes the installation of Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) used to hold the wires for electrification, platform upgrades at Bristol Parkway station and improvements to the track layout.
Last month GWR launched new Intercity Express Train (IET) services between Bristol and London Paddington, each providing up to 24% more seats than the trains they replace. With the completion of electrification GWR will be able to run more frequent and quicker IET services towards London from early 2019.
Weekends of 4-5 and 11-12 November
Train services will be diverted between Patchway and Swindon.
No trains will call at Bristol Parkway, with Patchway being used instead on 4-5 November and Filton Abbey Wood on 11-12 November. A free shuttle bus will run to connect with trains to London Paddington, South Wales and Bristol Temple Meads.
Replacement buses will also run between Yate, Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood.
Customers travelling from north Bristol to the Wales vs Australia rugby match on Saturday 11 November in Cardiff, are advised to use Filton Abbey Wood.
Weekend of 18-19 November
High Speed Services will be diverted between Swindon and Newport, non-stop via Gloucester. Trains from Bristol Temple Meads to Newport and Gloucester, and on the Severn Beach line will also be affected.
Replacement buses will run between:
- Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway
- Bristol Temple Meads and Severn Beach
- Swindon, Bristol Parkway and Newport
- Bristol Parkway and Yate (Saturday only)
- Bristol Parkway and Gloucester (Sunday only)
Customer travelling to the Wales vs Georgia rugby match on Saturday 18 November, no trains will run from the Bristol area to Cardiff. Direct coaches will run from Bristol Temple Meads station to Cardiff Central; and returning to Bristol Temple Meads after the match.
Matthew Barnes, Regional Development Manager for Great Western Railway said:
“This upgrade work will help to relieve a bottleneck at Bristol Parkway, which is crucial to be able to provide more frequent services; and alongside electrification of the line, will help to deliver the full benefit of our new Intercity Express Trains.
“We would like to thank our customers in advance for their patience during this work, which is a planned continuation of what was started in September.”
Ross Liddell, project sponsor for Network Rail, said:
“The upgrade of Bristol Parkway station is vital as we continue to deliver the benefits of our railway upgrade plan, with the new platform 1 available for use towards the end of this year.
“I’d like to thank residents living near to the railway and passengers for their continued support throughout the modernisation work which forms part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.”
For more details customers are advised to visit GWR.com/Bristol2017, and to use online journey planners for specific train times. Bristol Parkway station remains open throughout the work.
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.