Weekend rail journeys affected by engineering works in Swindon
Great Western Railway services will be affected by essential maintenance in the Swindon area this weekend.
This maintenance work to the track and overhead electrical power supply will impact trains between Swindon and Chippenham on Saturday 13 January:
- Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will use an alternative route via Bath Spa or Bristol Parkway – not stopping at Chippenham
- Trains will still run between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads or Westbury
- Replacement buses are planned between Chippenham and Swindon
Trains will also be affected between Didcot Parkway and Bristol Parkway or Chippenham on Sunday 14 January:
- Trains between London Paddington and Bristol, or South Wales will use an alternative route – not stopping at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham
- Trains will still run between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa, plus between Chippenham and Bristol Temple Meads or Westbury
- Replacement buses are planned between Swindon and Reading (non-stop), Swindon and Didcot Parkway, Swindon and Chippenham, plus Swindon and Bristol Parkway
Marcus Deegan, GWR Station Manager for Swindon and Bristol Parkway, said:
“Helping to ensure that we can continue to provide consistent and reliable services, this improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance to the track and overhead wires.
“Over the weekend some of our trains will have to use a different route from normal to maintain rail connections between London and Bristol or South Wales, and this will make journeys slightly longer; please do check before you travel.
“We will provide replacement bus services for Swindon, and valid rail tickets can also be used on the number 55 bus between Swindon bus station and Chippenham.”
Tim Laverye, Network Rail infrastructure maintenance delivery manager, said:
“We’re sorry for the disruption but our work is essential to help trains run smoothly on the Great Western mainline.
“We can only do this when trains aren’t running so our teams can work as safely and quickly as possible.”
For the latest information, visit GWR.com/Upgrade.
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Notes to editors
Notes to editors
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 before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to continue operating the Great Western network, which shall run up to 21 June 2025, with the potential for a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us