Trains running through the Severn Tunnel between Bristol and South Wales will be impacted during June due to rail track upgrades. Great Western Railway Services (GWR) has confirmed that the work on the key route is to ensure ongoing safety of commuters.
The dates on which train travel will be impacted are from Friday 9 June to Sunday 18 June, and on Sunday 25 June. Additional engineering work will also affect trains between Newport and Cardiff Central on the weekend of 10th and 11th June.
David Bailey, GWR’s customer service manager for South Wales said: “These upgrades in the Severn Tunnel form part of an ongoing programme of work that will enable us to maintain services for those travelling to or from South Wales. We’ve been working with other train companies to provide alternatives to ensure that our customers can still complete their journeys during this engineering work.”
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Mark Dix, project manager for Network Rail Western said: “Owing to the environmental conditions within the tunnel, we have an enhanced programme of track renewals, which includes replacing sections of track every 10 years as opposed to every 25 years for less challenging environments. This renewal is part of an ongoing maintenance schedule that is more cost effective than multiple weekend closures and vital to ensure the continued safe and reliable running of train services along this busy route.
The following routes will be affected :
Trains will still run between London and South Wales by using a different route, not stopping at Bristol Parkway, except for the weekend of 10/11 June. Fewer rail replacement services will be running than planned due to a shortage of bus/coach drivers, especially on the weekend of 10/11 June.
On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June trains will run between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway with shuttle trains between Cardiff Central and Swansea/Carmarthen
Buses and coaches will operate between Bristol Parkway and Newport, with them extending to Cardiff Central on 10/11 June
CrossCountry and Transport for Wales (TfW) also plan to operate replacement road transport on the weekend of 10/11 June between Newport and Cardiff
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GWR confirmed that ticket acceptance has been agreed with CrossCountry and TfW for GWR customers to travel between Bristol and South Wales via Gloucester instead.
Those travelling to Cardiff on Friday June 16 to see Blondie or Peter Kay in concert, or to watch Wales v Armenia will need to allow extra time, and check both outward and return journeys.
