Line closure Swindon - Bristol Parkway 6 July - 2 August & 8-9 Aug

[whole diary]

[John D]

Been announced that direct line via Chipping Sodbury and Badminton will be closed for a month this summer.

Trains will be diverted via Chippenham and Bath (no doubt with usual congestion delays)

Track renewals, structural repairs and drainage work will impact train services between London and South Wales.

Trains still run between London Paddington and Swansea, Carmarthen or Pembroke Dock using an alternative route – extending journey times by around 25 minutes.

The frequency of services between London and South Wales will be reduced to hourly due to the longer journey times diverting trains via Chippenham instead.

Additional services will also be provided between London Paddington and Swindon by extending some trains between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.

Replacement road transport is not planned as train services will still be operating between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/planned-engineering

[grahame]

The frequency of services between London and South Wales will be reduced to hourly due to the longer journey times diverting trains via Chippenham instead.

Additional services will also be provided between London Paddington and Swindon by extending some trains between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.

Replacement road transport is not planned as train services will still be operating between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Makes sense to do the work all at once, and also not provide road transport;  still quicker by train, and no intermediate stations at all since June 1968, so buses would be pointless.

Noting that though that the reason given for reducing the frequency of trains from London to South Wales was due to "longer journey times" which makes it a double hit - less trains and on top of that slower travel.  Could part of the reason also be that the remaining trains are diverted via the old diesel railway with no electric railway alternative route?   Another bonus of the incomplete electrification.

[grahame]

From Rail Technology Magazine

Passengers travelling between Bristol Parkway and Swindon are once again benefiting from direct rail services following the successful completion of a four-week programme of engineering work by Network Rail aimed at improving reliability and long-term resilience on one of the Great Western route's key railway corridors.

The extensive works focused on and around Chipping Sodbury Tunnel, where engineers delivered a series of infrastructure improvements designed to support both passenger and freight operations while reducing the impact of extreme weather on the railway.

As part of the project, teams installed more than 3,000 yards of new rail, sleepers and ballast within the tunnel, creating a stronger and more dependable track structure. Engineers also carried out essential tunnel repairs and upgraded drainage systems to improve water management and help prevent future infrastructure issues.