GWR warns of train disruptions

Great Western Railway (GWR) is warning its passengers of significant disruption on Sunday 17 November due to engineering work between Reading and Paddington.

The work, which is part of the construction of the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common and improvements to track, signals, and overhead wires, will lead to a reduced timetable. Most long-distance services will be affected, with most trains starting or terminating at Reading.

Passengers can then transfer to the TfL Elizabeth line to Ealing Broadway, before switching to the London Underground for central London.

GWR will operate one service per hour from South Wales, Devon, and Cornwall into London Euston instead of Paddington, with no stops at Reading. These trains will be reservation-only and must be booked in advance to minimise crowding.

GWR Operations Director, Richard Rowland, said: “This is a really complex operation, and we have worked hard to make sure people get to where they want to go. We will run an hourly service from the south-west of England – Cornwall and Devon – and an hourly service from South Wales, which will go into Euston. We will then have several trains which will terminate at Reading, and people can change there. We will also have trains to Ealing Broadway for those making more local journeys. They will be able to change on to the London Underground and into London that way. Trains on the Sunday will, however, be significantly reduced and we would urge people to travel on the day before or the day after, freeing up space for those who have to travel on the Sunday. We have altered tickets to allow people to do so.”

Passengers are advised to check their journeys on the day, as services will be extremely busy, and short-notice cancellations or alterations may occur.

Ticket restrictions have been relaxed, allowing passengers to travel on Saturday 16 November or Monday 18 November instead.

On Saturday 16 November, long-distance GWR services between London Paddington and Reading will still run, but with reduced services. There will be no stopping services between Paddington and Reading MTR, although Elizabeth line services will continue.

Further engineering work is scheduled for November and December as part of Network Rail’s Project Brunel, which includes upgrading drainage systems and replacing track and sleepers in the Thames Valley area.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, said: “This November and December, we have a number of packages of engineering work in the Thames Valley area, which will unfortunately mean some disruption for passengers. Our work to improve the performance of the line in the Thames Valley is also well under way and we’ll be upgrading drainage systems and the track later in November and into early December. These upgrades are vitally important to ensure that we can continue to see positive changes. I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience. There’s never a good time to close the line, however, we do try to ensure that any disruption takes place when fewer people are using the railway, such as at weekends. Please check before you travel on weekends in November and early December.”

Peter Gow, Project Client for Old Oak Common Station at HS2 Ltd, said: “Old Oak Common will be a super-hub of connectivity, bringing together HS2, Great Western mainline, and Heathrow Express services, as well as becoming the 42nd stop on the Elizabeth line. The new station is a catalyst for transport-led regeneration of a previously industrial site in west London, with thousands of new homes and jobs to be created as part of the development. As we construct the new station, we are working collaboratively with our partners in the rail industry to reduce disruption to passengers.”