Great Western electrification: Bath passengers warned of delays

Replacement bus services will be used during the closures

Rail passengers who use services through Bath are being warned of a summer of disruption as work to electrify the main line takes place.

To accommodate the overhead power lines some of the track to the east of the city, and in the Box tunnel, will need to be lowered and some bridges altered.

Between 18 and 31 July the line between Chippenham and Bath will be closed but services via Melksham will run.

And during August all lines to the east of Bath will be closed for a month.

This means there will be no trains running between Westbury, Freshford and Avoncliff to Bath Spa and journeys towards London from Bath Spa will be routed via Bristol Temple Meads and Parkway.

Replacement bus services will be in use during the work.

Network Rail said it would also use the down time to replace the track in the Box tunnel and replace switching equipment at Bathampton junction.

It said it also needed to make room under some bridges for the overhead cables and pylons.

Network Rail said the electrification work between London and Bristol "will be completed by 2016, with the route to Cardiff electrified by 2017".