With two different projects coming up which will affect Great Western Railway this weekend and over the next two weeks, the train operating company is urging passengers in Devon and Cornwall to check before travelling.
From Saturday 2nd June until Thursday 7th June and on Saturday 9th June and Sunday 10th June, Network Rail will be continuing the electrification of the railway between Reading and Newbury. Full details of this work can be found here
Flood resilience work at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, will also be affecting train services between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway and on the Tarka line to Barnstaple from Tuesday the 12 to Thursday 14th June 2018 (inclusive).
Train services will operate as per below:
- One train every two hours between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance which will be diverted via Yeovil and Honiton. They will not call at Taunton and Tiverton Parkway. Journey times will be extended by up to 50 minutes
- One train every two hours between London Paddington, Taunton and Tiverton Parkway, with buses to Exeter for stations through to Penzance
- Exeter St Davids to Penzance services will continue to operate but there will be some changes to the timetable
- Half hourly services between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth
- Trains to Bristol and Cardiff will start from Tiverton Parkway or Taunton
- The Night Riviera service will continue to operate, using a diversionary route, not calling at Taunton
Rail replacement buses will operate between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple.
CrossCountry trains from the North of England will terminate at Taunton. Trains from Plymouth and Penzance will terminate at Exeter St Davids.
South Western Railway services will be retimed, with some terminating at Yeovil Junction for a connecting GWR service continuing to Exeter.
What did the officials say?
GWR Operations Director Rob Mullen said:
“Please check your journey beforehand and plan in advance if you are travelling during this next fortnight.
“Network Rail is carrying out vital work to improve the resilience of the railway infrastructure, helping us to continue to operate services during periods of inclement weather, as well as continuing its work to electrify the Great Western.”
Network Rail Commercial Scheme Sponsor for the flood resilience work project, Victoria Bradley, said:
“Our work at Cowley Bridge is a key part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and along with our proposed project at Hele will improve the resilience of this part of the Great Western Main Line.
“The work involves building a brand new culvert and enlarging an existing culvert to enable us to drain more water away from the tracks. This will mean fewer cancelled services and less disruption for passengers in the future.”
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Been watching some of the flooding’s including at Cowley Bridge on Paddington 24/7. All 10 Episodes of them. Great Western Railway and Network Rail do take it very seriously on any problems and issues on the railway across the Great Western network.