Great Western Coffee Shop

From 25th December 2018 to 30th December inclusive, the North Downs line (Reading to Redhill and Gatwick via Guilford, Dorking and Reigate) will be closed between Ash and Gatwick Airport.

Trains from Reading will only run as far as Ash. Passengers for Guildord and stations to Redhill should change at North Camp for a rail replacement bus to Redhill. Passengers for Gatwick Airport should also change at North Camp for a direct bus for Gatwick Airport Only.

Above as told by GWR major possessions team - a couple of elements may still be draft, but I am cleared to share. Please take this more as guildines that rules just for the moment.  Exact timetables online early November.

Hope the replacement buses for the Gatwick service have plenty of luggage room.

Just to add, the possibility of a fast bus Reading to Gatwick is being explored.

Might almost be quicker than the train too.

Quicker, but the route won't be as scenic!

Having driven to work for the last two days to avoid playing replacement bus roulette, I have been struck by the poor information given on the radio (heard in the car) for the almost complete closure of Guildford. Yesterday's Berkshire and today's Surrey summaries simply referred to no cross-country (Cross Country?) services between Reading and Guildford, and today's Surrey news simply referred to buses replacing trains between Woking and Haslemere. As a regular traveler I knew that no through trains were running through Guildford, but if I was not would I have known that you couldn't get from Guildford to Portsmouth, for example? How difficult is it to work out that the main point was to tell the public that the only trains running anywhere from Guildford were to London via Cobham and that while replacement buses would be available passengers should expect considerable delays?

At least today's Berkshire travel news gave a reasonable summary of the bus replacement arrangements on the North Downs line.