Warning of disruption for train services at Christmas
PEOPLE travelling by rail this Christmas can expect widespread disruption over the festive period.
“Major” work will be taking place on the tracks in the run-up to Christmas and new year, affecting services between South Wales, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth and London.
Great Western Railway has warned people to travel no later than December 22 to avoid the disruption in the run up to the big day.
Online journey planners with exact details are expected later this month.
This is the disruption announced so far:
From December 27 to January 1, Great Western Railway services will be reduced, which includes trains from London to Reading.
On December 23, 24, and 30, there will be no direct trains from Carmarthen, Swansea or Cardiff to London Paddington.
No services will run on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
And on New Year’s Day, replacement coaches will run between Bristol Parkway to Newport.
Those travelling from Cardiff to Salisbury, Southampton or Portsmouth this Christmas will also see disruption from December 23 to January 3.
Affected services will have a rail replacement bus between Trowbridge and Warminster.
Within Wales there will also be disruption over the Christmas period.
Transport for Wales has said services will shut down from 8pm on Christmas Eve and re-start at 8.30am on December 27.
On December 27 and 28, there will be a reduced timetable between Cardiff Central, Penarth and Bargoed.
Trains from Treherbert will be redirected to run to Cardiff Bay, while services to Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa will start at Newport.
Services will shut down again from 8pm on New Year’s Eve.
On New Year’s Day there will be no train services on Cardiff Valley lines except an hourly service between Cardiff Central and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan.
For those jetting off for some win- ter sun this winter, railway services to Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted can also expect disruption.
From December 23 to 25 and on December 30, there will be no Heathrow Express services from London Paddington.
Meanwhile, Gatwick Express trains will be affected from December 22 to January 1, with services departing from other stations instead of London Victoria.
And engineering work around Liverpool Street will affect passengers using the Stansted Express.