Total Weekend Closure of Reading 14-15 October

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

With 6 weeks notice & plenty of publicity maybe, but this is last minute with virtually no publicity so it is fair to assume that a lot of people will turn up expecting the normal service, and not everyone can change their plans at such short notice anyway.

It concerns me they haven't been shouting from the rooftops about this work. Yes maybe at stations but unless you are travelling on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) lines during the week, how are you going to know?

Ask and ye shall receive Timmer!! 
Good to see this, just posted in the last 20 minutes on a paper's website in my neck of the woods. I'm sure other local newspapers in your area will be doing the same:
http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/people-urged-check-before-travelling-607767

Emergency, last minute work will impact on rail journeys to London this weekend.

Network Rail will undertake vital electrification work between Maidenhead and Didcot Parkway to accommodate the rollout of new electric commuter trains across the Thames Valley from January 2018. This means from 2am on Saturday October 14 until Monday October 16, GWR long distance services will be unable to run through Reading.

A Great Western Railway spokesman confirmed this will affect passengers travelling from Bath to London over the weekend. While bus replacement services will operate between Slough, Reading and Theale and between Slough, Reading, and Didcot Parkway, these buses are likely to be extremely busy and journey times significantly longer as key roads will be busy too.

Mike Gallop, acting western route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The electrification work in the Reading area this weekend is essential in order to enable GWR’s new fleet of electric trains to run between London Paddington and Didcot from January 2018.

“I’d like to apologise to passengers affected by this work and urge anyone planning to travel through Reading this weekend to check before you travel.”

GWR Managing Director, Mark Hopwood, added: “We very much regret that Network Rail need to do this work at such short notice.

“However, the Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and we have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much needed additional capacity and more comfortable, quieter journeys.

“We cannot achieve these improvements unless Network Rail do this work.”

[didcotdean]

They have been pushing the message into local newspapers (seen it here in the Oxford Mail online), but I'm not sure what the readership of these is like these days. Also has been pushed out on twitter, but I would say these haven't stood out enough from the day-to-day messages (see below). It isn't even the pinned tweet, which is still 'Five Go on a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Adventure'. A very long one if they select this weekend.

[Timmer]

They have been pushing the message into local newspapers (seen it here in the Oxford Mail online), but I'm not sure what the readership of these is like these days. Also has been pushed out on twitter, but I would say these haven't stood out enough from the day-to-day messages (see below). It isn't even the pinned tweet, which is still 'Five Go on a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Adventure'. A very long one if they select this weekend.

Nothing on Facebook.

[bobm]

Not showing because they've not lifted the ticket restriction that prevents travel via Oxford as a valid route.

2H35 typically, changing @ Swindon & Oxford (services from Bath terminating @ Didcot). So an hour quicker, but unless they raise an easement, very few, (possibly deliberately owing to capacity, even if Chiltern ran full length, 7car trains) will realise

Just had it confirmed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that their tickets will be honoured by Chiltern between Oxford and London Marylebone over the weekend.

[Timmer]

Just had it confirmed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that their tickets will be honoured by Chiltern between Oxford and London Marylebone over the weekend.

That's good. Question is will annoucements at stations and on-board trains travelling from Bristol/South Wales to Oxford encourage those for London to stay on and change at Oxford or get off at Swindon for bus to Reading/Slough?

[didcotdean]

Rail tickets will be accepted on the Oxford Bus Company X90 coach to London.

[TaplowGreen]

Even just taking into account the comments on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter feed, which tend to be from better informed frequent rail users, the publicity around this weekend's closures has been woefully inadequate.

[Timmer]

Even just taking into account the comments on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter feed, which tend to be from better informed frequent rail users, the publicity around this weekend's closures has been woefully inadequate.

Sadly, GWR won't put anything about this weekend's work on their Facebook page. Bizarre. Surely you should use every media at your disposal at a time like this.

[ChrisB]

Just had it confirmed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that their tickets will be honoured by Chiltern between Oxford and London Marylebone over the weekend.

But that on its own won't mean that the Wales/Bristol - London via Oxford journeys will show up in the planners *unless* they have made a change to the routing guide as well, to allow said journeys.

Meanwhile, Chiltern are saying this on their website. Already recognising that, even with extra seats, they aren't likely to be enough of them.

Network Rail will conduct emergency electrification works in the Reading area over the weekend of 14-15 October 2017.

Although the Chiltern network will not see closures, this will still have an impact on the route particularly on the Oxford-London Marylebone line, including services at stations between Haddenham and Thame Parkway and London where these trains call.

We have added 8684 extra seats over the weekend to manage demand, however, Chiltern Railways will be the only route between Oxford and London this weekend so services are expected to be busy.  In addition, GWR services from the west country are planned to terminate at Oxford which will lead to increased passenger flows through this location.  Queuing systems will be in place at Oxford and London Marylebone; please leave extra time for your journey.

Customers travelling to/from Bicester are encouraged to use Bicester North station.  Customers travelling to/from Haddenham & Thame, Princes Risborough and High Wycombe are asked to avoid trains calling at Oxford for a more comfortable journey.

Customers travelling from Northolt Park or South Ruislip are encouraged to travel from Gerrards Cross station.

Customers travelling to London Marylebone from Bicester Village, may be required to board shuttle buses from Bicester Village station to Bicester North station, for trains into London Marylebone.

As well as the above there is also a sporting event at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 14 October. Customers returning to Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, South Ruislip, West Ruislip and Northolt Park, may have to wait longer for their return journey after the game.

On Saturday a reduced service will operate on the Marylebone - Amersham - Aylesbury line during the afternoon and evening. Additionally, during this period, buses will replace trains between Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

[didcotdean]

I guess that it why there is an arrangement with OBC to use their coach service between Oxford and London, although that will require people to walk to/from Gloucester Green. Although I have only seen this from OBC twitter not GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)!

[Timmer]

Just had it confirmed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that their tickets will be honoured by Chiltern between Oxford and London Marylebone over the weekend.

But that on its own won't mean that the Wales/Bristol - London via Oxford journeys will show up in the planners *unless* they have made a change to the routing guide as well, to allow said journeys.

They weren't when I last checked a couple of days back, could be now though. Will check later. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, it will be interesting what is announced at stations and on trains what those travelling from Bristol/South Wales heading for London should do, head to Oxford so train throughout, change at Swindon/Didcot and end up on a bus?

[ChrisB]

I may have checked myself before I posted that.....doncha think?

[WelshBluebird]

At least Cardiff - London is now showing as a change at Oxford onto a train (no buses) for Saturday 14th on the NRE^‡(resolve) website.

[ChrisB]

ok, so it's been updated since I checked at lunchtime. good.

[grahame]

At least Cardiff - London is now showing as a change at Oxford onto a train (no buses) for Saturday 14th on the NRE^‡(resolve) website.

I tried a few minutes ago (and failed) to get Marylebone to Melksham when I asked "via Oxford" for Sunday morning ... Got a Waterloo to Melksham via Salisbury set of timings AOK, and even Marylebone to Melksham via Salisbury when I accidentally left the "via Salisbury" in.

No posters at all at Melksham about engineering this weekend - engineering poster runs out tomorrow (13th) and looks ahead to major works later in the month ... but those major works do NOT include this weekend's Reading blockade.