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:
2024
September
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.
Weekends of 21/22 and 28/29 September
Trains will run between Reading and Guildford with replacement buses planned between Guildford 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 Wareham.
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.
October
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
Train services via Cheltenham Spa or Ashchurch for Tewkesbury will also be impacted on Sunday 27 October until 11:00.
Track renewal work will affect train services in the Guildford area.
Trains will run between Gatwick Airport or Redhill and Guildford with replacement buses planned between Guildford and Reading.
Important to note
Further work will impact trains between Guildford and Reading on the weekend of 9/10 November.
Signaling 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.
Track renewals will affect train services via Southampton Central.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Work on a new station and essential track maintenance will affect train services between London Paddington and Reading.
Trains will still 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 during 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 renewal work will affect train services between Cardiff Central and Bridgend.
Trains will use an alternative route – extending journey times by around 35 minutes.
As a result of this, GWR trains for Carmarthen will start/terminate at Swansea instead.
Rail improvement work will affect all train services via Worcester Shrub Hill.
Trains will run between London Paddington and Worcestershire Parkway.
Replacement buses are planned between Worcestershire Parkway and Great Malvern.
West Midlands Railway trains will be running between Worcester Foregate Street and Great Malvern or Hereford.
Important to note
On Sunday 20 October, trains can still run between London Paddington and Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street or Great Malvern up until 11:00.
Train services will also be impacted on all these dates between Worcester and Gloucester via Cheltenham Spa.
Essential track maintenance will affect all train services for Penzance until 15:45.
Up until that time, trains between Penzance and London Paddington or Cardiff Central will start or terminate at St Erth instead.
Replacement buses are planned between Penzance and St Erth.
Rail improvement works will impact train services between Bath Spa and Westbury on Sunday 27 October, then between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads from Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October.
Sunday 27 October
Trains will be running between:
- Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads or Cardiff Central
- Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth
Replacement buses are planned between:
- Bath Spa, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge and Westbury
- Bath Spa, Freshford, Avoncliff* and Bradford-on-Avon
* buses stop in Westwood Village
Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October
Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will use an alternative route – not stopping at Chippenham or Bath Spa.
A reduced train service will be operating between London Paddington and Bath Spa via Chippenham.
Trains will also be running between:
- Bath Spa and Westbury, Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth
- Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central, Gloucester or Worcester
Replacement buses are planned between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.
For more information visit our Bristol webpage.
November
Buses replace trains between Warminster and Salisbury on Saturday then between Warminster and Southampton Central on Sunday.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Buses replace GWR trains between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth.
Buses also replace SWR trains between Wareham and Weymouth.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Track renewal work will affect train services between Reading and Didcot Parkway.
Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will use an alternative route – not stopping at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham.
Trains between London and South Wales will also be diverted – not stopping at Didcot Parkway or Swindon but will stop at Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.
Trains will still run between London Paddington and Reading, plus between Didcot Parkway and Cheltenham Spa, Oxford, Worcester, Great Malvern or Hereford.
Train services will also run between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads via Chippenham and Bath Spa.
Replacement buses are planned between:
- Reading and Swindon (non-stop)
- Reading and Didcot Parkway (non-stop and stopping)
CrossCountry trains will operate between Bournemouth and Reading, plus between Didcot Parkway and Manchester Piccadilly with replacement buses between:
- Reading and Didcot Parkway (non-stop)
- Winchester and Didcot Parkway (non-stop)
Signaling upgrade work will affect train services for Carmarthen.
Trains will run between London Paddington and Swansea with replacement buses planned between Swansea and Carmarthen.
Track renewal work will affect train services between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea or Carmarthen.
Trains will run between London Paddington and Port Talbot Parkway with replacement buses planned between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea.
Other train services are planned to operate between Swansea and Carmarthen.
Track renewal work will affect train services between Reading and Guildford.
Trains will run between Guildford and Redhill or Gatwick Airport with replacement buses planned between Guildford and Reading.
Trains between London and the South West will stop at Frome instead of Westbury.
Buses also replace trains between Westbury and Frome.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Buses replace trains between Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour on Sunday 10 November and the weekend of 16/17 November.
Train services via Southampton Central are also impacted on the weekend of 23/24 November.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Track renewal work will affect train services between Theale and Westbury.
Trains will run between London Paddington/Reading and Theale.
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 divert via Westbury instead – further extending journey times.
There will be very limited train service between Swindon and Westbury as a result.
For more information visit our Wessex webpage.
Replacement buses are planned between:
- Theale and Newbury/Bedwyn
- Newbury and Hungerford via Kintbury
- Pewsey and Swindon
- Westbury and Chippenham
Important to note
Further track renewal work will affect train services between Newbury and Westbury from Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 December.
Saturday 16 November
Trains will still run between London Paddington and Reading, but services will be reduced as only two out of four tracks will be available.
Sunday 17 November
No direct train services between London Paddington and Ealing Broadway/Reading.
Elizabeth line services will run between Ealing Broadway and Reading.
GWR services will still run between:
- Reading and Bristol Temple Meads
- Reading and Exeter St Davids/Paignton/Plymouth
- Reading and Oxford/Worcester/Great Malvern/Hereford
- Reading and Swindon/Bristol Parkway/Cardiff Central
- Reading and Newbury/Bedwyn
- Swindon and Cheltenham Spa.
In addition, some GWR trains will run between:
- London Euston and Swansea/Carmarthen
- London Euston and Plymouth/Penzance
- Please note these diverted services will not stop at Reading to pick-up or drop-off and you will also require a seat reservation for these trains.
Sunday 24 November
Trains will still run between London Paddington and Reading, but services will be reduced as only two out of four tracks will be available.
For the latest information about the impact on services due to work on the new station visit our Old Oak Common webpage.
Track upgrades linked to train service improvements will affect trains for Newquay.
Replacement buses are planned between St Austell and Newquay.
Important to note
Most replacement buses do not stop at Par, change at St Austell instead.
Further work will affect trains for Newquay in February and March 2025.
Looking ahead
Further rail improvement work is planned in the next few months affecting the following routes:
- 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
- Weston-super-Mare to Taunton – Monday 3 to Thursday 6 February
- Fareham to Portsmouth Harbour – Saturday 15 to Friday 21 February
- Guildford to Redhill/Gatwick Airport – Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 February
- Par to Newquay – Monday 24 February to Sunday 23 March