Rail journeys affected by major engineering work in the Newbury area
Great Western Railway services will be affected by rail improvement work taking place between Berkshire and Wiltshire next week.
Network Rail is replacing track on the route via Newbury along with flood alleviation works at Newbury station during the autumn and winter.
The latest planned engineering work will impact train services between Theale and Westbury from Monday 11 until Thursday 14 November:
- Trains between London Paddington and the South West will use an alternative route via Swindon making journey times longer as a result
- Trains will still run between London Paddington/Reading and Theale
- Replacement buses are planned between Theale and Newbury/Bedwyn, plus between Pewsey and Swindon
- There will also be replacement buses operating between Westbury and Chippenham due to limited train service between Westbury and Swindon
Further work will impact trains between Newbury and Westbury from Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 December.
Tom Butler, GWR Station Manager for the Kennet & Thames Valley area, said:
“This improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance, helping to ensure we can continue to provide consistent and reliable services.
“Trains will still run between Theale and Reading or onto London Paddington, plus between London and the South West by using an alternative route.
“GWR will provide rail replacement services for stations between Theale and Bedwyn, plus buses between Pewsey and Swindon for onward connections.
“Customers should be aware that there will be fewer parking spaces available in the station car park at Theale due to the rail replacement operation.
“There will also be limited train services running between Westbury and Swindon, so replacement buses will be provided between Westbury and Chippenham.
“It’s important that customers note these alternative travel arrangements will make their normal journey times much longer, so please check before you travel.”
Mark Parker, South Rail Systems Alliance and Network Rail’s lead portfolio manager, said:
“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this essential track upgrade in the Newbury area.
“Once complete, this vital work will enable continued safe and reliable services to run on this popular route for years to come.”
For the latest information, visit GWR.com/Upgrade.
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About Great Western Railway
First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services and helps more than 80 million passengers reach their destination every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to operate the Great Western network: https://www.gwr.com/about-us