Planned Engineering Work and Disruption

We may sometimes have to change our timetables so please check your journey details as close as possible to your date of travel.

If we do change things after you have bought a ticket, you can either use any reasonable alternative service, or claim a full refund.

Important to note

Details below may be subject to alteration due to planned industrial action – for the latest information visit GWR.com/strike.

Normally replacement road transport will be provided to replace trains where these services are unable to operate.

Due to a nationwide shortage of qualified bus or coach drivers, there may be fewer replacement bus services running than planned.

If this should be the case, we will provide alternative travel options for customers to complete their journeys. Details will be provided in the sections below.

Timetable changes

The following planned engineering work may affect your journey:

Summary of upcoming changes to train times
Saturday 13 to Friday 19 July 2024 (PDF, 165 KB)
Saturday 20 to Friday 26 July 2024 (PDF, 133 KB)
Saturday 27 July to Friday 2 August 2024 (PDF, 164 KB)
Saturday 3 August to Friday 9 August 2024 (PDF, 128 KB)
Saturday 10 August to Friday 16 August 2024 (PDF, 162 KB)
Saturday 17 August to Friday 23 August 2024 (PDF, 152 KB)
Saturday 24 August to Friday 30 August 2024 (PDF, 185 KB)
Saturday 31 August to Friday 6 September 2024 (PDF, 155 KB)
Saturday 7 to Friday 13 September 2024 (PDF, 185 KB)
Saturday 14 to Friday 20 September 2024 (PDF, 164 KB)

2024

July

Track renewal and essential drainage work will affect train services between Bristol Parkway and Newport.

Trains will still run between London and South Wales by using an alternative route between Swindon and Newport – stopping at Gloucester instead of Bristol Parkway.

Trains will be running between Bristol Parkway and Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa for train services to South Wales.

Limited trains will run between Bristol Parkway and London Paddington in the morning and the evening – outside these times travel via Bristol Temple Meads.

This work will also affect train services between Filton Abbey Wood and Severn Tunnel Junction.

Unlike previous closures of the Severn Tunnel a very limited replacement bus service will be provided, so those travelling between Bristol and South Wales should travel by train via Gloucester instead – for more information visit our Bristol webpage.

Important to note:

Further rail improvement work will affect this route on the weekend of 24/25 August
Rail improvement work will affect train services between Oxford and Banbury.

Replacement buses are planned between those stations affected.

Important to note:

Further rail improvement work will affect trains Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 July.
Track renewal work will affect train services between Oxford and Banbury, plus trains between Oxford and Didcot Parkway on the weekend of 27/28 July.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Oxford and Banbury (on all dates)
- Oxford and Didcot Parkway (weekend of 27/28 July only)
Oxford area disruption map. (PDF, 865 KB)

August

Track renewal work will affect train services between Charlbury and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Trains will run between London Paddington and Charlbury via Oxford with separate trains running between Moreton-in-Marsh and Worcester, Great Malvern or Hereford.

Limited direct train services will operate between London Paddington and Hereford using an alternative route via Swindon and Cheltenham Spa instead of Oxford.

Replacement buses are planned between Charlbury and Moreton-in-Marsh.
Track renewal and essential maintenance work will affect train services on the Severn Beach line and trains between Filton Abbey Wood and Stapleton Road.

Replacement buses are planned between Severn Beach and Avonmouth only on Saturday 17 August

Replacement buses are then planned between Severn Beach or Avonmouth and Bristol Temple Meads from Sunday 18 to Friday 23 August.

For more information visit our Bristol webpage.
Track renewal and essential drainage work will affect train services between Bristol Parkway and Newport.

Trains will still run between London and South Wales by using an alternative route between Swindon and Newport – stopping at Gloucester instead of Bristol Parkway.

Trains will be running between Bristol Parkway and Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa for train services to South Wales.

Limited trains will run between Bristol Parkway and London Paddington in the morning and the evening – outside these times travel via Bristol Temple Meads.

This work will also affect train services between Filton Abbey Wood and Severn Tunnel Junction.

A very limited replacement bus service will be provided, so those travelling between Bristol and South Wales should travel by train via Gloucester instead – for more information visit our Bristol webpage.

September

Essential maintenance of the overhead power supply will affect all train services via Didcot Parkway until around 1250.

Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads or South Wales will use an alternative route – not stopping at Didcot Parkway or Swindon.

Train services will still be running between London Paddington and Reading, plus between Swindon and Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Temple Meads or Westbury.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Reading and Swindon
- Didcot Parkway and Oxford/Reading/Swindon
Track renewal work will affect train services via Hereford with additional rail improvement work also planned in the Worcester area.

Weekend of 7/8 September

On Saturday, trains will run between London Paddington and Great Malvern.

On Sunday, trains will only operate between London Paddington and Worcestershire Parkway, plus between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester.

CrossCountry train services will still be running between Worcestershire Parkway, Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester.

West Midlands Railway services will be running between Birmingham New Street and Great Malvern via Worcester Foregate Street/Worcester Shrub Hill.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Great Malvern and Hereford (both dates)
- Worcestershire Parkway and Great Malvern/Hereford (Sun)
- Gloucester and Worcester Foregate Street (Sun)
Weekend of 14/15 September

Trains will run between London Paddington and Great Malvern.

West Midlands Railway services will also be running between Birmingham New Street and Great Malvern via Worcester Foregate Street/Worcester Shrub Hill.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Great Malvern and Hereford
Weekend of 21/22 September

Trains will run between London Paddington and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Worcester Shrub Hill and Great Malvern/Hereford
Important to note

Buses also replace trains between Gloucester and Bristol Parkway from midday on Saturday 21 September and all day on Sunday 22 September.
Work on a new station and essential track maintenance will affect train services between London Paddington and Reading.

Trains will be running between London Paddington and Reading, but services will be reduced as only two out of four tracks will be available.

Important to note

Further work will impact trains between London Paddington and Reading on Sundays in October, November and December.

For the latest information about the impact on services due to work on the new station visit our Old Oak Common webpage.
Track maintenance will affect all train services between Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour.

For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Signalling upgrades and track maintenance will affect train services for Carmarthen.

Trains will run between London Paddington and Swansea with replacement buses planned between Swansea and Carmarthen.

Important to note

Further work will impact train services on this route on the weekend of 5/6 October.
Rail improvement work will affect train services in the Guildford area.

Sunday 15 September

Trains will run between Gatwick Airport and Guildford with replacement buses planned between Guildford and Reading.

Weekend of 21/22, plus Saturday 28 September

Trains will run between Reading and Guildford with replacement buses planned between Guildford and Redhill/Gatwick Airport.

Sunday 29 September

Trains will only run between Reading and Ash with replacement buses planned between North Camp and Redhill/Gatwick Airport.

Important to note

Track renewal work will also impact trains between Reading and Guildford on the weekend of 5/6 October.
Track renewal work will affect train services via Newbury.

Trains will run between London Paddington and Newbury.

Train services between London Paddington and Devon or Cornwall will use an alternative route between Reading and Taunton diverting via Swindon.

Some of these services will also be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads and some will be diverted via Westbury instead – further extending journey times.

As a result of these diverted services, there will only be a limited train service operating between Swindon and Westbury.

For more information visit our Wessex webpage.

Replacement buses are planned between:
- Newbury and Bedwyn
- Pewsey and Swindon
- Westbury and Chippenham
Important to note

Further work will affect train services on this route in November and December.

Trains will be impacted between:
- Theale and Westbury – Monday 11 to Thursday 14 November
- Newbury and Westbury – Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 December
Rail improvement work will affect train services via Bristol Parkway from midday on Saturday 21 September and all day on Sunday 22 September.

Trains between London and South Wales will use an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

CrossCountry trains will use an alternative route between Cheltenham Spa and Bristol Parkway – stopping additionally at Gloucester and Newport.

Replacement buses are planned between Bristol Parkway and Gloucester.

For more information visit our Bristol webpage.
Track renewals and essential maintenance will affect train services via Salisbury.

Saturday 21 September

Trains impacted between Salisbury and Southampton Central

Sunday 22 September

Trains impacted between Warminster and Southampton Central.

For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Track renewals and essential maintenance will affect train services for Weymouth.

Sunday 22 September

GWR trains impacted between Weymouth and Dorchester West and SWR trains impacted between Weymouth and Dorchester South.

Monday 23 to Sunday 29 September

Trains impacted between Weymouth and Castle Cary via Dorchester West.

For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Track renewal work will affect all train services via Cheltenham Spa.

No trains will stop at Cheltenham Spa or Ashchurch for Tewkesbury.

Trains will run between London Paddington/Swindon and Gloucester.

Trains will also run between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester.

CrossCountry trains will run between Penzance/Plymouth and Gloucester.

Replacement buses are planned by GWR between:
- Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa
- Gloucester and Worcester Foregate Street
Replacement buses are also planned by CrossCountry between:
- Gloucester and Birmingham New Street
- Cheltenham Spa and Bromsgrove
Important to note

Further work will affect train services on this route at weekends during October.
Track renewals will affect all train services via Southampton Central.

For more information visit our Wessex webpage.

Looking ahead

Further rail improvement work is planned in the next few months affecting the following routes:

Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads – Monday 28 October to to Thursday 31 October
Port Talbot Parkway to Swansea – Monday 4 to Thursday 7 November
Theale to Westbury – Monday 11 to Thursday 14 November
London Paddington to Ealing Broadway – Sunday 17 November
Par to Newquay – Monday 18 November to Sunday 1 December
Plymouth to Liskeard/Gunnislake – Monday 2 to Friday 6 December
Newbury to Westbury – Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 December
London Paddington to Ealing Broadway – Friday 27 to Sunday 29 December
All trains via Westbury – Friday 27 December to Thursday 23 January

Planned engineering

Important to note

Timetable changes

2024

July

Bristol to South Wales – Wednesday 3 to Thursday 18 July, plus weekend of 27/28 July

Important to note:

Banbury area – Sundays 14 and 21 July

Important to note:

Oxford area – Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 July

August

North Cotswolds area – Monday 12 to Thursday 15 August

Bristol area – Saturday 17 to Friday 23 August

Bristol to South Wales – weekend of 24/25 August

September

Didcot Parkway – Sunday 1 September

Hereford and Worcester – weekends of 7/8, 14/15 and 21/22 September

London area – Sundays 8, 15, 22 and 29 September

Portsmouth area – weekend of 14/15 September

Llanelli area – Monday 16 to Friday 20 September, plus weekend of 28/29 September

Guildford area – Sunday 15 September, plus weekends of 21/22 and 28/29 September

Newbury area – Tuesday 17 to Thursday 19 September

Bristol Parkway – weekend of 21/22 September

Salisbury area – weekend of 21/22 September

Dorchester area – Sunday 22 to Sunday 29 September

Cheltenham area – weekend of 28/29 September

Southampton area – weekend of 28/29 September

Looking ahead