Passengers warned over half-term rail disruption

Rail replacement buses will run between Bristol and Bath Spa

Rail passengers are being urged to plan ahead due to potential disruption caused by maintenance work during the October half term.

Network Rail is replacing tracks between Bristol Temple Meads and Keynsham along with other works at the end of October.

"This work forms part of a wider, ongoing, rail improvement programme to ensure the continued reliability of this important section of the railway," said GWR's Oana Apetroaie.

The UK-wide strikes will impact all CrossCountry services on Saturday.

What work is happening?

Network Rail says it is replacing some of the track between Bristol Temple Meads and Keynsham.

That will be in St Anne's tunnel where they will also use more than 5,000 tonnes of stone to help renew the railway there.

Great Western Railway said there will also be other essential maintenance on other parts of the track.

When is the work taking place?

It will take place from Monday 27 to Thursday 30 October - for most of us, that's half term week.

Which stations are affected?

In a nutshell: Services between London Paddington and Bath Spa will be reduced and a separate service will go between Paddington and Temple Meads via an alternative route not stopping at Chippenham or Bath Spa.

In more detail that means:

• Replacement buses between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa

• A reduced service between both Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington

• The Temple Meads service to London will divert and not call at Bath or Chippenham

GWR said bus services cannot operate from directly outside Keynham and Oldfield Park station and passengers should follow signs.

What alternatives are there?

Replacement buses will be in place for all stations along the route - Bristol Temple Meads, Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Bath Spa itself.

GWR said passengers should be "aware these alternative arrangements could make journey times longer" and asked people to "plan ahead".

Rail tickets can also be used to travel on local bus services in the area operated by First West of England buses instead.

Trains between Bristol, Cardiff Central and Gloucester will continue to run as normal.

Remember the strikes

All CrossCountry services will be impacted as members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) walk out on Saturday.

The firm runs long-distance series that stretch from the South West of England to Scotland.

Limited services will run between various cities, including those in the West:

• Birmingham and Bristol

• Birmingham and Reading

Some services will extend to Southampton and Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, there will be no services on routes between:

• Gloucester and Cardiff

• Bristol/Somerset and Plymouth/Paignton/Penzance

The RMT has also announced another day of planned industrial action on Saturday 1 November.