Travellers are being warned of major train disruption over the Christmas break, with mainline trains heading to and from London cancelled. Due to a pause in service, those in the South West relying on the Great Western Railway will have to reconsider their journey between December 27 and 29.
The disruption comes due to construction work on the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common in west London, as well as Network Rail enhancements to track, signals, and overhead wires between Reading and Paddington. Most of Great Western Railway’s long-distance services will commence from or conclude at Reading.
From Reading, passengers can catch connecting trains to Ealing Broadway, where London Underground services continue into central London. However, those travelling from South Wales, Devon, and Cornwall will have an hourly service diverted to London Euston instead – these trains will not stop at Reading.
GWR Operations Director Richard Rowland said: “This is a really complex operation, and we have worked hard to make sure people get to where they want to. We will run an hourly service from the south-west of England – Cornwall, Devon – and an hourly service from South Wales which will go into Euston.
“We will then have several trains which will terminate at Reading, and people can connect there, and we will also have trains to Ealing Broadway for those making more local journeys. They will be able to connect there on to the London Underground and into London that way.”
He added: “It is really important to us that we can keep customers moving and get them to where they need to go this Christmas. One of the reasons we chose Euston was that its most convenient for many of our customers who are making journeys beyond West London.
“We’ve worked carefully with the team at Network Rail who manage that station to make sure we’ve got extra staff and managers to help customers. We will be transporting a little bit of Great Western Railway to Euston to keep people moving.”
GWR added: “It is important to note that trains and stations will be extremely busy over the festive period. The earlier you can travel before Christmas, or the later after it, the more comfortable your journey will be. To ensure passenger comfort and prevent overcrowding, these trains will be reservation-only, so booking in advance is advised.”
Network Rail Western Route Director, Marcus Jones explains: “Our festive upgrades ensure the railway runs reliably and safely. Continued investment into upgrading and improving the railway is evidence of our commitment to providing a railway fit for the 21st century.
“We appreciate there is never a good time to disrupt journeys but whenever possible we do this at times when fewer people are travelling, such as at Christmas, on bank holidays or at weekends. We thank passengers in advance for their patience and urge them to please check before they travel.”
Peter Gow, Project Client for Old Oak Common Station at HS2 Ltd, said: “Old Oak Common will be a super-hub of connectivity, bringing together HS2, Great Western mainline, and Heathrow Express services, as well as becoming the 42nd stop on the Elizabeth Line.
“The new station is a catalyst for transport-led regeneration of a previously industrial site in west London, with thousands of new homes and jobs to be created as part of the development. As we construct the new station, we are working collaboratively with our partners in the rail industry to reduce disruption to passengers.”
Luckily, for those planning an early Christmas escape, there are no significant planned disruptions before Christmas Day. Passengers are advised to verify their journeys before travelling and to plan well in advance. More information can be found at www.GWR.com/Christmas.