Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2026

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Alterations to services between Westbury and Reading

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or diverted. Some stations between Westbury and Reading will not be served. Disruption is expected until 08:00 04/07.

"Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26" (!)

[GBM]

Alterations to services between Westbury and Reading

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or diverted. Some stations between Westbury and Reading will not be served. Disruption is expected until 08:00 04/07.

"Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26" (!)

Alterations to services between Westbury and Reading
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or diverted. Some stations between Westbury and Reading will not be served. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26.
Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There is a fault with the signalling system in the Hungerford area.
What are we doing about it?
-
We can run our trains via an alternative route between Melksham and Hullavington. This will extend journey times.
Last Updated:04/07/2026 16:04

((Issued yesterday!))

[TaplowGreen]

...............just as the warm weather mass cancellations start again.

Delays to services between London Paddington and Slough

Due to a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Slough some lines are blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:30 06/07.

[NickB]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Slough some lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:30 06/07.
Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey today.
-
What has happened?
-
Some axle counters, part of the signalling system, have stopped working in the Paddington area. Axle counters tell the signalling system if a section of track has a train on it. If an axle counter stops working, trains need to stop at the affected signal so that the Driver can speak to the Signaller to confirm if the track ahead is clear.

[NickB]

Looks like the paper mache signalling system has failed despite cancelling most of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services for the Thames valley.

[GBM]

Alterations to services between Westbury and Reading

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or diverted. Some stations between Westbury and Reading will not be served. Disruption is expected until 08:00 04/07.

"Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26" (!)

Alterations to services between Westbury and Reading
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or diverted. Some stations between Westbury and Reading will not be served. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26.
Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There is a fault with the signalling system in the Hungerford area.

true to their word -
Delays to services between Westbury and Reading
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Westbury and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 06/07/26.

Some difficult fault this one!

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to severe weather between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
We are sorry for the disruption to your journey.
-
What has happened?

The extreme heat that is forecast for today can lead to an increase in points failures.
Points are the moving pieces of metal that enable trains to change tracks.

What are we doing about it?

To reduce the risk of this happening, a number of points will be set for one route and not moved, protecting the route to and from London Paddington.

....................plenty more standard paras follow re: explanations/alternatives, and of course "you may wish to consider postponing your journey until our service returns to normal"

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Hungerford and Newbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Hungerford and Newbury trains have to run at reduced speed.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There is a fault with the signalling system in the Hungerford area, affecting trains towards Newbury, Reading and London Paddington.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Hungerford and Newbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Hungerford and Newbury trains have to run at reduced speed.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
There is a fault with the signalling system in the Hungerford area, affecting trains towards Newbury, Reading and London Paddington.

This one is still ongoing, and now we also have;

Delays to services between Reading and Slough

Due to a problem with line-side equipment between Reading and Slough the line towards London Paddington bound high speed is disrupted.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 11:00 09/07.

[Mark A]

Has there just been a report that all lines from Paddington are closed?

[Edit] Ah. https://bsky.app/profile/gwr.com/post/3mqa3vg7sno2l

⚠ Travel Update - 09/07 ⚠

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between London Paddington and Reading all lines are blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised.

Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Mark

[NickB]

I guess the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) masterplan of shove everyone to the Elizabeth Line and forget about them wasn’t so full proof after all.

[grahame]

I guess the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) masterplan of shove everyone to the Elizabeth Line and forget about them wasn’t so full proof after all.

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between London Paddington and Reading the Reading bound high speed line is blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
-
What has happened?
-
We have had a report of a fault with the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE")) between Reading and Paddington. OLE is the name given to the overhead wires and other equipment on electrified railway lines that provides power to the trains.
-
What are we doing about it?
-
We are working with Network Rail to be able to return to running our normal timetable as soon as possible.

[TaplowGreen]

I guess the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) masterplan of shove everyone to the Elizabeth Line and forget about them wasn’t so full proof after all.

The Elizabeth Line is a huge "Get out of Jail Free" card for GWR in this context - what on Earth would they have done if it wasn't there to save their bacon?

[eightonedee]

Err...surely the only difference sharing the relief lines east of Reading with the  Elizabeth Line makes to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) when disruption occurs is to reduce the available capacity for them to use these lines when the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) on the main lines only fails?

The "get out of jail" (odd expression for coping with disruption to their business) remains the slower alternative of taking Waterloo trains from Reading.

[TaplowGreen]

Err...surely the only difference sharing the relief lines east of Reading with the  Elizabeth Line makes to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) when disruption occurs is to reduce the available capacity for them to use these lines when the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) on the main lines only fails?

The "get out of jail" (odd expression for coping with disruption to their business) remains the slower alternative of taking Waterloo trains from Reading.

Err..........the explanation we've received for GWR trains running non stop to/from Reading to Paddington was that it was largely due to the likelihood of points (such as those at Dolphin Junction) falling over due to hot weather.

So customers who use Twyford/Maidenhead/Slough and smaller stations fall back to the Elizabeth Line, but if that fallback did not exist, what options would they have?