Engineering work will severely disrupt train services between Gloucester and Swindon and Cheltenham/Gloucester and Bristol Parkway during the early spring bank holiday and the following weekend.

Over the early spring bank holiday of Saturday, 3rd to Monday, 5th May, and the following weekend of 10th/11th May, track will be replaced near Gloucester; a bridge will be repaired near Stonehouse, and maintenance will be carried out in Wickwar tunnel. A platform at Gloucester station will be repaired along with maintenance of points and track equipment and compacting the ballast.

Train Service Alterations

• On Saturday, 3rd May and the bank holiday Monday, 5th May, services from London Paddington and Swindon will terminate at Stroud, with rail-replacement buses between Stroud and Gloucester.
• There will be no services from London Paddington and Swindon to Stroud on Sunday, 4th May, or 10th/11th May.
• Train services will be replaced by rail-replacement bus services between Cheltenham Spa/Gloucester and Swindon on Sunday, 4th May and 10th/11th May.
• Rail-replacement bus services will replace train services between Gloucester and Bristol Parkway on Saturday, 3rd, Monday, 5th, and Saturday, 10th May.
• Train services will be replaced by rail-replacement bus services between Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads on Sunday, 4th and Sunday, 11th May.
• On Saturday, 10 May, there will be no direct train services between Bristol Parkway and South Wales. Passengers should travel via Lydney or to Bristol Temple Meads (for connecting services), and note that reservations will be required on all services from Bristol Temple Meads.

“We’re sorry to close the railway for a short time, but we’ll be taking full advantage to get our teams on the track to deliver key maintenance and upgrades. Passengers are advised to check their journeys before travelling as replacement bus services will be in place on some routes and services may be altered. We’ll be working at many different sites and completing as much work as possible to keep the railway in good shape for years to come.”

Mark Parker, Network Rail lead portfolio manager

Train services will also be disrupted on Saturday, 17th and Sunday, 18th May by engineering work at Ashchurch, between Cheltenham and Worcester, and in the Worcester area

Train Service Alterations weekend of 17th/18th May

• Trains from London Paddington and Swindon will terminate at Gloucester instead of Cheltenham Spa.
• CrossCountry services will not run through Cheltenham.
• CrossCountry services will run between Gloucester and Plymouth, and between Bromsgrove and Birmingham New Street.
• Transport for Wales train services from Cardiff Central to Cheltenham will terminate at Gloucester@
• On Sunday, 18th May, trains between London Paddington and Worcester, Great Malvern, and Hereford via Worcestershire Parkway will start/terminate at Worcestershire Parkway until about 1700.

Further information about the planned engineering work is online at GWR.com/Upgrade

“We’re asking all passengers to check their journeys carefully as some may take a little longer and are grateful for their understanding while Network Rail complete these important works.”

Bethan Jelfs, CrossCountry regional director