Christmas travel disruption expected for GWR passengers

Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced significant changes to its train services between 27 and 29 December, leaving many passengers heading into London facing travel disruptions. 

However, those planning to leave before Christmas Day can look forward to no major alterations.

From Christmas Eve, main line trains will not run to or from London Paddington until Monday, 30 December, due to essential works on the HS2 station at Old Oak Common and track, signal, and overhead wire improvements between Reading and Paddington.

Instead, most long-distance GWR services will start or terminate at Reading, where passengers can catch connecting trains to Ealing Broadway. 

From there, they can access the London Underground to central London. 

For those travelling from Devon and Cornwall, an hourly service will run to London Euston, bypassing Reading, but passengers will need to book a reservation in advance to avoid overcrowding.

GWR Operations Director Richard Rowland commented: “It’s a complex operation, but we’re doing everything possible to ensure passengers reach their destinations. We’ve coordinated with Network Rail to make the process as smooth as possible, and we’ll have extra staff at key stations like Euston.”

Though the changes may cause inconvenience, passengers are urged to travel earlier or later to avoid peak crowds, as trains and stations will be extremely busy over the holiday period.

Network Rail’s Marcus Jones added: “We are committed to ensuring the railway is fit for the 21st century, and while upgrades are necessary, we appreciate the disruption they cause.”