Great Western Railway travel information for this Bank Holiday weekend

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Great Western Railway press release:

Important information for travel this Bank Holiday

Great Western Railway is encouraging Bank Holiday customers travelling through Swindon to check journey times and routes prior to travelling, as further preparatory work for electrification will take place.

Electrification of key routes on the Great Western network is vital for the introduction of the new Super Express Trains that will run between London Paddington, Maidenhead, Oxford, Newbury, Swindon, Bristol and Swansea.

On Sunday 1 and Monday 2 May, the railway line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway will be closed and a revised train service will operate between London Paddington and stations to Bristol and South Wales.

Train services on the Trans Wiltshire line between Swindon and Westbury will not run during these works.

To minimise disruption to long distance passengers, two separate hourly services will operate.

Sunday:
^        1 train per hour London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads diverted via Newbury, adding up to 30 minutes to journey times. (Calling at Reading, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads)
^        1 train per hour London Paddington to Swansea. Runs to Swindon then diverted via Lydney, extending journey times by approximately 35 minutes
^        Trains between Cheltenham Spa and London Paddington will be slightly revised

Monday:
^        1 train per hour London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads diverted via Newbury, adding up to 30 minutes to journey times. (Calling at Reading, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads)
^        1 train per hour London Paddington to Swansea. Runs to Swindon then diverted via Lydney, extending journey times by approximately 35 minutes
London Paddington to Swindon shuttle service will operate every 2 hours in each direction
^        Trains between Cheltenham Spa and London Paddington will be slightly revised

Buses will replace trains between Swindon and Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Bath Spa and Bristol Parkway.

^        An hourly non-stop service between Swindon and Bath Spa. Overall journey time will be extended between 30 to 45 minutes
^        An hourly stopping service between Swindon and Chippenham. Overall journey time will be extended by up to 30 minutes
^        An hourly stopping service between Chippenham and Bath Spa. Overall journey time will be extended by up to 35 minutes

A rail replacement bus service will also operate between Trowbridge/ Melksham and Chippenham, connecting with other bus services at Chippenham for Swindon.

The first Super Express Trains will enter into passenger service in Summer 2017, and will bring more frequent services, reduced journey times, and more seats once electrification of the line is complete.

[Adelante_CCT]

An hourly stopping service between Swindon and Chippenham. Overall journey time will be extended by up to 30 minutes

Where exactly?

[JayMac]

When all is said and done, none of this will happen before bank holiday Monday, which is what this thread should be about. 


Edit note: Several posts were previously made here, on the subject of the electrification of the Great Western main line, which have subsequently been moved and merged at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5066.msg194530#msg194530

Hope this helps, with clarity and continuity.  Chris from Nailsea. 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Yes, that crossed my mind when I first posted.  Perhaps a nice moderator can take it all across to the electrification thread.

[Timmer]

Yes, that crossed my mind when I first posted.  Perhaps a nice moderator can take it all across to the electrification thread.

Not only a nice moderator, but one who can do it without making a complete horlicks of it. Paging Chris From Nailsea.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh, for goodness' sake!  Where would you lot be, without me to tidy up after you, eh?? 

All done: several posts about the rolling stock implications of electrification have now been moved and merged with the relevant topic, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5066.msg194530#msg194530 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Sorry sir, shall we all do a detention or do a 100 lines of "I must always post in the right topic".

Seriously, thanks, what would we do without you?

[Chris from Nailsea]

No problem, Gordon. 

I must admit to having some sympathy with Stephen Fry, going into his schoolmaster mode when some panellists on QI became rather rebellious: "Now, class, you're trying to wind Sir up - but I won't let you!" 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

Bank Holiday rail passengers warned over disruptions to Great Western Railway


Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway is encouraging Bank Holiday customers travelling through Swindon to check journey times and routes prior to travelling, as further preparatory work for electrification will take place.

Electrification of key routes on the Great Western network is vital for the introduction of the new Super Express trains that will run between London Paddington, Maidenhead, Oxford, Newbury, Swindon, Bristol and Swansea.

On Sunday (1 May) and Monday (2) the railway line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway will be closed and a revised train service will operate between London Paddington and stations to Bristol and South Wales.

Train services on the Trans Wiltshire line between Swindon and Westbury will not run during these works.

To minimise disruption to long distance passengers, two separate hourly services will operate.

A rail replacement bus service will also operate between Trowbridge/ Melksham and Chippenham, connecting with other bus services at Chippenham for Swindon.

The first Super Express trains will enter into passenger service in summer 2017, and will bring more frequent services, reduced journey times, and more seats once electrification of the line is complete.

Visit gwr.com for more information.

Posted simply to raise awareness of this (necessary) temporary rail travel disruption.