Bristol rail services to be hit by maintenance work

GWR is asking people to check for updates online before travelling

Rail journeys around Bristol will be affected for nine days while essential engineering work is carried out.

Great Western Railway said track replacement work will impact trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare or Taunton from Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 January.

Christine Lazarus, of Network Rail, said engineers would be working 24/7 to finish the work as "efficiently as possible".

Updates will be available online.

Alex Hills, GWR station manager for the Bristol area, said the rail improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance to provide customers with "consistent and reliable services".

To maintain rail connections between Bristol and Somerset, some trains may take slightly longer, with different routes being used where necessary, he said.

A replacement bus service will be provided between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, with valid rail tickets permitted on some local buses in Bristol and North Somerset.

Planned operations

• Trains for Weston-super-Mare will start and terminate at Bristol Temple Meads

• Trains will still run between Weston-super-Mare and Taunton

• Cross Country 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

Safety and reliability

Ms Lazarus, the senior portfolio manager for Network Rail Wales and Western, said: "It's is 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."

Customers for Nailsea and Backwell are advised 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 and 4 February, affecting train services between Bristol and North Somerset.

Service users are asked to check for any updates before they travel.