GWR service disruptions to Devon routes this weekend

Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced changes to services affecting passengers in Devon.

Services are expected to be busier than usual over the weekend as Christmas shopping, Christmas markets, and local sporting events increase passenger demand.

As a result, services between Exeter, Bath, and Bristol will be very busy between 9am and midday and between 4pm and 7.30pm on Saturday, November 30.

Customers are advised to travel outside of these times for the most comfortable journey experience.

The following routes will be affected:

Local Exeter services

Between Cardiff and Bristol/Bath

Between Swindon and Bath/Bristol

Great Western Railway is also reminding customers that engineering works in the Thames Valley mean trains cannot run as normal between London Paddington and Reading on Sunday morning.

Network Rail is carrying out improvement work to improve reliability and performance on Sundays in November and December, including drainage upgrades for key flooding sites and track replacement.

To allow this work to take place, no trains will be able to operate to or from London Paddington until 10.30am on Sunday, December 1.

Instead, trains will run between Reading and Ealing Broadway, where customers can change for London Underground services.

After 10.30am, trains will run, but services between London Paddington and Reading will be reduced as only two out of four tracks will be available.

Crew availability is likely to result in additional short-notice cancellations and alterations, particularly between London Paddington and Bristol and South Wales and London Paddington and Devon and Cornwall.

Customers are advised to travel only if necessary and consider changing plans if possible.

Those who need to travel should check the latest information on the day of travel.

Customers with tickets for travel on Sunday, December 1, can use them to travel on Monday, December 2. 

Network Rail Western Route Director, Marcus Jones, said: “These upgrades are essential to our goal of reducing disruption and improving the resilience of this stretch of line into the future. 

“I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience. There’s never a good time to close the line; however, we do try to ensure that any disruption takes place when fewer people are using the railway, such as on weekends.”

GWR Customer Services Director, Rachel Geliamassi, said: “The impact weather can have on the smooth running of trains has been only too evident over the past week or so, and work like this is vital to improving the resilience and reliability of train services.

“Due to the engineering work and crew availability, trains on Sunday will, however, be significantly reduced, and we would urge people to travel the day after where possible, freeing up space for those who must travel on the Sunday. We have altered tickets to allow people to do so.”