This festive season, Network Rail will be undertaking the latest phase of preparatory work for the construction of the proposed Old Oak Common station on the line just outside London Paddington. In a bid to lessen the impact on passengers, track maintenance and renewals are also scheduled during this period.
As per tradition, train services will wrap up earlier on Christmas Eve, with no Great Western Railway trains operating on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. From Friday 27 to Sunday 29 December, neither GWR nor Heathrow Express will be able to run services into or out of London Paddington station.
Despite these disruptions, alternative routes will be available for passengers, although some journeys may take longer than usual. Passengers planning to travel into or out of London over the Christmas period are advised to plan ahead.
For those travelling between London and Reading or the Thames Valley, GWR and Elizabeth Line trains can be used between Ealing Broadway and Reading for onward connections, but journeys may take around half an hour longer than the normal GWR service.
For those travelling between London and Oxford, North Cotswolds or Worcestershire, Chiltern Railways trains can be used between London Marylebone and Oxford for onward connections. For those travelling between London and Bristol Parkway, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall.
Customers have the option to use special trains directly to and from London Euston, or alternatively, they can travel via Ealing Broadway and Reading on GWR/Elizabeth Line services with onward connections.
Services via Westbury/Warminster will also be impacted by engineering work from Friday 27 December to Thursday 23 January. The Night Riviera Sleeper services will not run on Saturday 21 December and will resume in the New Year on Friday 3 January.
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