Travelling by train this Christmas? Advice for South Cotswolds customers

GWR is urging passengers to check journey times before they travel over the Christmas period as Network Rail carry out vital works to modernise the rail infrastructure.

Services will be altered between Thursday 24 December and Sunday 3 January as part of a programme of engineering in the Thames Valley needed for the launch of Crossrail in 2019, and continued works to electrify the Great Western mainline.

The railway line between Slough and London Paddington will be closed on 27 and 28 December with mainline services diverted away from London Paddington, and a revised timetable will operate between 29 December and Sunday 3 January.

Services will finish earlier than normal on Christmas Eve with the last direct train departing for Cheltenham Spa at 1847.

Sunday 27 and Monday 28 December

• Trains will run between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa via Gloucester. You will need to change at Swindon for Didcot Parkway and Reading
• If you are travelling from Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester to London you can use your tickets on CrossCountry services to Birmingham New Street for connecting Virgin Trains services to London Euston
• If you are travelling from Stonehouse, Stroud and Kemble to London you will need to change at Swindon for connecting GWR services to London Waterloo or London Marylebone

Tuesday 29 December to Sunday 3 January

• Trains will run between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa via Gloucester, you will need to change at Swindon for Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington

A spokesperson for GWR said:

"We have been talking to our passengers about the CrossRail and electrification projects for some time and we are grateful to them for their understanding while we work to keep disruption to a minimum.

"Some of these improvement works form part of the wider £7.5 billion scheme to improve capacity and connectivity on the Great Western Main Line which will ultimately deliver more trains more frequent services and quicker journeys."

Those travelling to Heathrow should allow extra time for their journey, as there will be no Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect services on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 December. You can take the Piccadilly Line or London buses where tickets will be accepted. If you are travelling from the west of Reading, change at Reading for the RailAir coach link to Heathrow (an additional coach ticket will be required).

Full details can be found at https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates.