Network Rail has announced that engineering work between Swindon and Patchway will impact local railway routes between Christmas and New Year. The disruption will impact CrossCountry services via Bristol Parkway as well as GWR trains between Tuesday December 27 and Friday December 30.
For CrossCountry trains, the line closures mean that rail replacement buses will operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway, Bristol Parkway and Gloucester. This will affect CrossCountry trains travelling between Penzance / Plymouth / Exeter St Davids / Bristol Temple Meads and Birmingham New Street / Manchester Piccadilly / Derby / Sheffield / Leeds / York / Newcastle / Edinburgh / Glasgow Central / Aberdeen.
GWR services between London Paddington and Cardiff Central / Swansea will operate hourly between London Paddington and Swansea. These will instead be diverted between Swindon and Newport via the Bath Spa.
Read More: Willow trees near Temple Meads cut down leaving 'soulless concrete jungle'
GWR trains will not call at Bristol Parkway but will call additionally at Patchway. A rail replacement bus service will operate between Patchway and Bristol Parkway.
Timetable changes are also in effect, with services expected to depart London Paddington and Reading up to 30 minutes earlier than usual. Also affected are services between London Paddington and Cheltenham Spa, which will operate between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa only.
Additionally, the 22.32 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service will not run. Instead, the 22.48 London Paddington to Swansea service will divert after Swindon to call additionally at Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads. The service will then change direction and stop additionally at Patchway before returning to its regular route at Newport.
Network Rail suggests using its journey planner before travelling and offers replacement bus travel advice, including accessibility and bicycle information, here.
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