GWR Suspends Sunday Services Between Reading and London Paddington

Great Western Railway (GWR) has informed passengers of a complete suspension of train services between Reading and London Paddington scheduled for Sunday. GWR stated that this measure is necessary to facilitate construction work on the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common in London, alongside Network Rail’s planned upgrades to the track, signals, and overhead wires connecting Reading and Paddington. Where feasible, customers are advised to undertake their journeys on Saturday or Monday instead. Furthermore, GWR indicated that services operating between Reading and Oxford and the North Cotswolds might experience last-minute alterations on Sunday morning. The operator also cautioned that any long-distance services that do manage to run would be “extremely busy,” with a potential for short-notice cancellations or changes. For Saturday, long-distance services between London Paddington and Reading will operate on a reduced timetable. Additionally, no stopping services will be available on the Elizabeth line between London Paddington and Reading MTR. Richard Rowland, GWR’s operations director, described the undertaking as “really complex.” He stated, “We will run an hourly service from the south-west of England – Cornwall and Devon – and an hourly service from South Wales, which will go into Euston.” He added, “We will also have trains to Ealing Broadway for those making more local journeys.” “They will be able to change on to the London Underground and into London that way.” Additional work is scheduled for November and December as part of Network Rail’s performance improvement plan for the Thames Valley region. This work encompasses drainage upgrades for sections of the line prone to frequent flooding, along with the replacement of track and sleepers, which provide support for the rails. Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s western route director, emphasized that these upgrades are “vitally important.” He further stated, “These upgrades are essential to our goal of reducing disruption and improving the resilience of this stretch of line into the future.” Chiltern Railways recommended that customers plan their journeys in advance. A spokesperson for Chiltern Railways noted, “Chiltern services between Oxford and London Marylebone are expected to be busier than usual this Sunday as Chiltern is the only train operator running a direct service between Oxford and London due to engineering works.” GWR has also indicated that further disruption is anticipated on 24 November and 1 December. Updates from BBC Berkshire can be accessed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.