The railway line through Gloucester will remain closed on Monday, 6th October, as essential upgrade work has taken longer to complete than planned.

The line has been closed since 27th September whilst engineers complete an electrical upgrade.

Whilst the work has been completed, the testing and commissioning are taking longer than planned, and the line will now reopen on the 7th October.

A limited bus service will replace trains on the following routes:

• Cheltenham Spa to Gloucester and Lydney
• Cheltenham Spa to Gloucester and Bristol Parkway
• Cheltenham Spa to Gloucester and Kemble
• Cheltenham Spa to Worcester Shrub Hill (via Worcestershire Parkway)

Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, said: “We’re very sorry for the disruption this extended closure will cause for passengers and thank them for their patience while we complete essential testing of the new system.

“Gloucester signal box is a vital control centre that guides trains through this area, which is one of the busiest hubs for train movements in the west. This upgrade is a huge undertaking as the equipment we’ve replaced has been in use for decades. Once complete, the newly modernised system will enable the continued safe and reliable running of trains long into the future.”