Train services will be affected by essential maintenance of the railway in the Bristol area for nine days in January, starting this weekend.
Track replacement work will impact trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare or Taunton from Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 January.
- Trains for Weston-super-Mare will start and terminate at Bristol Temple Meads.
- Trains will still run between Weston-super-Mare and Taunton.
- CrossCountry trains will use an alternative route between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton – extending journey times by around 55 minutes.
- Replacement bus services are planned to operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare.
- These buses will not stop at Bedminster or Parson Street – customers for those stations should use local bus services instead.
Alex Hills, GWR station manager for the Bristol area, said: “This rail improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance to help ensure we can continue to provide customers with consistent and reliable services.
“To maintain rail connections between Bristol and Somerset, some trains will use a different route from normal, making journeys slightly longer; so please check before you travel.
“We will provide a replacement bus service between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, plus valid rail tickets can also be used on a number of local buses in Bristol and North Somerset.”
Christine Lazarus, senior portfolio manager for Network Rail Wales & Western, said:
“Our engineers will be working 24/7 over the nine days to get this vital refurbishment done as efficiently as possible.
“It’s a busy route and much of the track is in need of replacement to ensure the continued safety and reliability of the railway.
“This work can only be carried out while the line is closed, and we are sorry for any inconvenience. I’d like to thank passengers and local residents for their patience during this time.”
Customers for Nailsea & Backwell should note that rail replacement services will stop at the Crossroads bus stops on the A370 in Backwell and not outside the station.
Further engineering work will need to take place on the weekend of 3-4 February that will also affect train services that normally run between Bristol and North Somerset.
Image credit: GWR
